The Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant
by SweetMisery430
Summary: COMPLETE! Sain throws the Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant, giving the girls a chance to show off their wits, strength, and beauty... and their bad manners and less than stellar singing skills. Who has what it takes to win? And can she keep her sanity intact?
1. Boredom Causes Brilliance

Yes, this is the re-done version of the Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant. The old version was deleted, I guess because of the 'reader participation' thing. I decided to start it up again since I never finished it.

This version is going to be a bit different because my computer lost all of the chapters except for 1,2, and 6. The other chapters will be completely rewritten, and the chapters I still have will be edited and changed in big ways. Hopefully, this will make it better. Also, you are no longer allowed to vote. I get to choose who gets out based on who was most popular before the deletion of the story.

Sorry about all of the changes. Please enjoy! I don't own Fire Emblem.

**Chapter One**

It was another one of those boring, rainy days that came about every so often. It was dark and stormy outside, and no one dared venture onto the grounds of Castle Ostia, where they had been staying. So instead, every in Eliwood's army was lying around, bored out of their minds.

Apparently, everyone was depressed because of Ninian's shocking death several days before. Eliwood happened to be the most depressed of all, and since he was the leader, he gave the rest of the army a very uninspired, pessimistic feeling.

Sain was one of the few actually attempting to entertain himself. But after being shooed away from a chess game downstairs and failing to find a Go Fish partner, he'd given up on that, too. Now he stared listlessly out the window, watching raindrops slide down the glass slowly. If only he could think of something to do...

Then, he had an idea.

"Sain, you're a genius!" he told himself. He decided that, for his plan, he would need a piece of parchment and a pen. He went over to Kent's chest of things and fished around inside until he'd found what he needed. Kent was his roommate – he wouldn't mind if Sain borrowed a few things from him. Even if a letter from Kent's mother was on the back of the piece of parchment.

Sain thought about what he should write, and then began to scribble down the first things that came to mind. When he was finished, he read over the paper again. Yes, perfect! He decided to go 'bring in the mail' so he could pretend to find this nice ad he'd written.

* * *

"Checkmate!" Nino announced cheerily.

"Why do you keep beating me??" cried Hector, feeling ashamed for his loss to a girl, and a 14 year old one at that."This isn't fair!"

"Why not?" said Nino with a shrug. "I mean, maybe you just have to work on your chess skills."

"Rrr... well, you've won this game, but next time..."

"That's what you said last time, Hector," Lyn commented with a roll of her eyes. "Just face it, Nino is better than you at chess. In fact, she's better than me. I'll probably lose to her, too, so don't feel bad."

"He's just used to beating me all of the time," Matthew informed Nino. "That's 'cause I let him win, though... gotta avoid that hot temper..."

The four of them were in the dining room, sipping some hot chocolate Lowen had made and taking turns playing chess against each other. So far, Hector had lost against every single person, and it wasn't making him very happy.

"More hot chocolate?" Lowen asked eagerly, running into the room with refills.

Matthew raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure you should be running while holding a hot drink?"

Lowen ignored him, or maybe he just hadn't heard the comment. "Does anyone want more?"

Matthew sighed. "Sure, Lowen. That stuff is pretty good..."

While Lowen was pouring Matthew more, the door opened with a BANG and Sain ran into the room, waving a piece of paper. Lowen jumped and spilled some of the hot chocolate on Hector, who was sitting next to Matthew.

"ACK!!!" cried Hector. "LOWEN!!!"

Lowen flinched. "I am so very sorry, milord! I'll clean it up right away!"

Hector looked like he was about to kill someone, but no one noticed since they were focused on Sain.

"Look what came in the mail!" the green clad cavalier cried.

Lyn snatched the flier from Sain's waving arms. "What's this? 'Dear Kenty, I miss you so very much!'. What??"

Matthew grabbed the flier from Lyn. "Hmm..."

"Read it!" Hector insisted, forgetting about the spilled hot chocolate. So Matthew did:

"_All eligible ladies between the ages of 14 and 28 are invited to participate in the Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant, held today from 1 o'clock to 4 o'clock in the ballroom of Castle Ostia. Four judges will be randomly selected out of all of the male audience members. In the competition, each participant will have the opportunity to show off their physical beauty, impressive skills, and views on several important issues in Elibe. The winner will get a marvelous prize. Sign up on the attached sheet."_

Hector looked dumbfounded. "What the heck? There's a beauty pageant here and I didn't know about it? I mean, I do live here... What has my brother been DOING as Marquess??"

"You should sign up!" Sain encouraged Lyn and Nino. "Both of you are ever so beautiful and talented!"

"Uh, no thanks..." Nino said, looking down. "I don't really like that sort of thing. In competition, everyone gets mean."

"Count me out, too," agreed Lyn. "Superficial stuff like that is so pointless."

"But... but... there's nothing better for you to do around here!" cried Sain. "I, for one, would like some entertainment."

"And parading us girls around in bikinis would entertain you??" cried Lyn angrily. "How do you think WE feel about it??"

"That would be very entertaining," Matthew said with a nod, before getting hit upside the head by Lyn. "Ouch!"

"It's not just about beauty!" Sain began, becoming dazed. "It's also about showing what you're like on the inside; showing the world what wonderful people you really are!"

Lyn still looked angry and Nino still looked doubtful.

"It would be fun to watch, but no one will sign up," Hector told Sain. Then, he had a wicked idea. "Lyn, you're such a tomboy. I bet you're too shy to show your feminine side."

"That's not true!" Lyn automatically replied.

"And Nino!" Matthe continued, catching on to Hector's plan. "I know you have a thing for Jaffar. He sees you as a little girl. Wouldn't you like to show him how grown up you really are?"

Nino tilted her head to the side. "Jaffar does think I'm kind of immature..."

"Lyn, I don't believe you," Hector said with a shake of his head. "You don't even have a feminine side. I'll only believe it if I see it."

Lyn clenched her teeth. "You are DEAD WRONG Hector!! I'll show you!! I can be as feminine as I want!"

She violently grabbed the pen from Sain's hand and scribbled her name on the sign up sheet. Nino, seeing Lyn sign up, took the pen and added her name, too.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Sain beamed. "I'll go show it to the other girls!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," Lyn said snidely. "I have to get ready for the pageant. Come on, Nino."

After the two girls and Sain had left, Hector could not stop laughing.

"Lyn's going to be in a beauty pageant!! Can you believe it?"

Matthew shook his head and smiled slightly. "You're amused at the strangest things..."

* * *

By eleven o'clock, almost all of the girls had signed up.

Serra had agreed to join almost immediately – showing off was her forte. Priscilla and Rebecca joined more out of boredom than anything else. Farina joined in hopes of winning the 'marvelous prize', which she assumed was money. Fiora joined so she could prove to Farina that even serious, straight-laced people could win beauty pageants. Florina joined so she could be with her sisters. Louise wanted to impress her husband, so she joined too. Isadora joined, thinking it would simply be a way to pass time.

The only person who didn't join was Vaida, who had disappeared to who knows where and was most likely uninterested in such trivial things such as beauty pageants.

The girls locked themselves in their rooms to get ready for the competition that would begin in a couple of hours. Sain, meanwhile, was picking the judges...

* * *

Sain wrote down everyone's name and put it in a hat. He picked out four slips of paper to determine who the four judges would be. He was saddened to find out he was not one of the judges, but perhaps it was for the best. He wrote down the four names and planned to announce them at the beginning of the competition.

He just couldn't wait for this to begin! This had to be the best idea he'd ever had. He checked the clock. Only one more hour to go! He decided to go help decorate the ballroom and set up chairs. Then – it was show time!

* * *

Nino: Yay, this version is better!! I'm in it!!!!

Yep. In this version, I hope to make it funnier and contain a bit more romance. Also, now that Nino is participating and Vaida isn't, some other things will change.

One thing – should I pick new judges or keep the same ones from last time? Last time I had Jaffar, Erk, Pent and Nils. Opinions?

Nino: Please review!!!


	2. Makeovers: Overmade

Sorry for taking so long to update. Anyways...

Nino: Hehe... these are some interesting judges we have here...

There are two old, returning judges, and two new ones! Please don't get mad if you don't like the judges - I chose them based on who you reviewers liked or didn't like, and also who you recommended, so it's not like I put random names in a hat like Sain did... Okay, let's begin!

**Chapter Two**

In the girls' rooms, there was complete and utter chaos.

It isn't easy to fit nine females and all of their clothes into three rooms (with the exception of Louise, who just stole Pent's room) but somehow they had managed to do it.

Room number one was currently occupied by Nino, Rebecca, Serra, and Priscilla. Nino was curling Rebecca's hair while Rebecca did her own make-up.

"Um, could you please stop moving around so much?" Nino asked. "It's kind of hard to do this while you're turning your head."

"Nino!" cried Rebecca. "You made me get eyeliner on my nose!"

Serra and Priscilla were going through all of their clothes and shoes and taking turns modeling for each other. First, Priscilla came out wearing a purplish pink dress that greatly resembled Serra's usual attire.

Serra snorted. "THAT only looks good on me. Try something else."

Priscilla looked a bit put down, but went to change out of the dress. Moments later, Serra had changed into Priscilla's usual green and white outfit.

Priscilla wrinkled her nose. "It's a bit... tight on you."

"Are you calling me fat???" cried Serra, putting her hands on her hips.

"N-no! I just... think you would look better in something else," Priscilla stuttered.

"No way!!" yelled Serra. "You were calling me fat! And I saw you flirting with Erk yesterday! You'll pay for this!!"

"What does THAT have to do with anything?" asked Priscilla. "And besides, it's a free country - I'm allowed to talk to Erk if I want to!"

"Oh, yeah?"

Before it could be prevented, a catfight had broken out between the two healers.

The next room over was a great contrast to this one. It was the room shared by the three Pegasus Sisters. Farina, usually the loudest of the three, had gone into town. She had claimed she needed a professional to make her look good enough to win the competition. She'd stolen Hector's credit card and hitched a ride to the main town of Ostia where all of the shops were. Fiora and Florina had the room to themselves.

Fiora was attempting to brush Florina's out-of-control curly hair while Florina shook uncontrollably.

"I-I'm so nervous!!" she cried. "Fiora, w-why do I have to do this?"

"Well, YOU signed up for it," Fiora pointed out. "You didn't have to."

"O-oh... th-that's right..." Florina remembered.

"Don't worry, it will be fun," her elder sister assured her. "You look very pretty. You may even have a chance at winning."

"B-but what about the others? Th-their ten times prettier than me!" cried Florina.

"Are you serious?" asked an appalled Fiora. "Look, I'm not much for judging others, but I don't think most of them are all that pretty. Serra, for one, wears so much makeup that she looks like she's trying too hard. And Nino's cute, but she's just too young to be considered beautiful."

"F-fiora?" Florina asked tentatively. "Um, is something wrong?"

"Oh no!" she cried. "I'm starting to sound like Farina! What's gotten into me? I'm sorry, Florina... I shouldn't have said those things."

This just succeeded in making Florina more nervous. If this competition could bring out the worst in Fiora, of all people, then it could bring out the worst sides of everyone.

Lyn went over to Louise's room and knocked on the door. She needed to ask for some hairspray, because she couldn't find any in her room. Usually, Nino shared a room with her, but the younger girl had been enlisted by Rebecca for help, so Lyn was alone. When Louise didn't answer the door, Lyn knocked again.

"Louse?? If you're in there, could you please open up?" demanded Lyn, growing impatient. There wasn't much time before the competition began.

Finally, Louise came to the door, wearing only a towel, rollers in her hair, and a face mask.

Lyn's mouth dropped open. "Uh..."

"Oh, hello, dear!" she greeted the blade lord. "I was in the bathroom, so I didn't hear you at first. Do you need something?"

"Hair...spray..." Lyn muttered, feeling embarrassed.

"Oh, of course!" cried Louise.

She ran off and came back a moment later with then different containers of hairspray.

"Here, take them all!" she said, handing them all to Lyn, who almost dropped them. "I hope one of them works for you."

"Thanks..." mumbled Lyn.

"You're welcome!" called Louise as Lyn ran off.

Lyn shook her head. "If a married woman is so into looking good for this thing, then I don't think I have ANY chance of winning..."

* * *

Finally, it was time. Sain was so excited he could barely contain himself. He scanned the ballroom, which, in his opinion, looked amazing. There were streamers and balloons everywhere, and hundreds of chairs full of the spectators. Sain had called a few TV stations, like St. Elimine Television and the Black Fang Network regarding the event, and it looked like they had all shown up. The Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant would be aired on national TV!

Sain had Canas working the sound and music, and Dorcas doing lights and special effects. Hawkeye was going to play bodyguard in case some crazy person broke in and tried to hurt one of the contestants (in the most extreme case). And there were four empty chairs in front of a long table on the stage, waiting to be filled by the four judges.

Then it was finally time to begin. Sain checked himself in the mirror, and the turned to Canas.

"Alright, we're on in ten seconds! Get ready!" he said.

Canas nodded and hit a button. The loud, fast-paced theme music blared out of speakers around the room, and almost deafened every person in the room. They all began yelling and holding there ears. Canas quickly lowered the volume.

"Woops," he said, looking sheepish. "I was sure that was the right setting..."

Sain had barely noticed that anything had happened, and ran out onto the stage.

"Hi everyone!" he said. "Welcome to the first ever Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

"And I am your handsome host, Sain!" he continued, and paused for more cheers.

There was a moment of silence. Then someone yelled, "Get off of the stage! We want the girls!!"

"Yeah!!" agreed everyone else.

There was another pause.

"I think this is the part where they start throwing tomatoes at him," Matthew whispered to Hector.

"Yeah...but we don't have any tomatoes," Hector replied. "I guess we'll just have to skip that part."

"Um, anyways," Sain continued, regaining his composure after being slightly humiliated, "welcome to the competition! In a few moments, we will be bringing out our lovely contestants, but first... we must pick the judges!"

Everyone leaned forward eagerly and expectantly.

Sain cleared his throat. "Judge number one is... Erk!"

Everyone clapped politely. Erk sunk in his chair, an expression of horror on his face.

"Come on," Pent said, nudging Erk. "Get up there!"

"B-but Master... this is a juvenile, idiotic competition... and... people might get angry at me if I give them a bad score!" he cried.

"Oh, you're afraid of one of those catfights between Priscilla and Serra happening again!" Pent recalled. "Eh, I'm sure Hawkeye will deal with those... now get up there, or I'll never get to see Louise!"

Pent clutched his digital camera. Erk wondered exactly how many pictures of Louise he was planning on taking...

Once Erk was finally on the stage in the first seat, Sain announced the second judge.

"Judge number two is... Jaffar!"

"..." said Jaffar.

"What was that?" asked Legault.

"..." repeated Jaffar.

"Whatever," Legault said. "I'll never understand you Angels of Death."

"...There is more than one of me?" Jaffar asked, raising his eyebrows.

Legault looked surprised. "So NOW you're talking?"

"Stop wasting time!" someone said from behind.

Sain continued. "Judge number three is... Wil!"

"YAY!!" cried Wil, practically bouncing out of his seat.

Dart, who had been sitting next to Wil, slapped his forehead. "And this is the guy who claims to have been my best friend... what was I THINKING???"

"And the last judge..." Sain began, and inserted a dramatic pause, "...is Hector!"

"Cool!" commented Hector. "Now I'll be close enough to tell if Serra's eyelashes are fake or not!"

"They are," Matthew said with a nod. "They definitely are."

Hector shrugged. "I'll tell you if you're right when I get back."

When all four judges were seated on the stage, Sain said, "We will now have a 15 minute commercial break! When we return, the contestants will be introduced!"

"Fifteen whole minutes??" the crowd complained.

Sain disappeared behind the stage before he could be mobbed by angry fans - not his fans, of course, but the girls'.

A blond reporter from St. Elimine TV went up to the judges table.

"Hi!" she cried energetically. "My name's Sally, and I'm here to ask you a question that our viewers would like answered! Who do you think will win?"

"I know! I know!" cried Wil, raising his hand. "Rebecca will! Because... Rebecca's cool!"

"Alright..." said Sally, becoming a bit bewildered. "Anyone else?"

"..." said Jaffar.

"What was that?" asked a confused Sally.

"I think he said Dino," said Wil, "but I'm not sure."

"There is no one in this competition named Dino," Hector corrected him. "He probably said Nino. He's obsessed with her. But I say no way. Nino's just a kid. She'll probably win because Jaffar gives her good scores."

Jaffar gave Hector an Evil Glare of Doom.

Hector returned the favor.

"Um, let's stay friendly, now," Sally said nervously. "So, uh, who do YOU think will win, sir?"

"Me? I'm rooting for Lyn," Hector replied.

"And you?" Sally asked, turning to Erk.

"I don't even care who wins," he said grumpily. "I just want this to be over."

"Oh, uh, well then..." said Sally, turning to the camera. "Stay tuned for several minutes, when we return to Castle Ostia for the first viewing of the contestants in the pageant!"

She and her cameraman scurried off of the stage.

"These people are crazy!" she muttered. "How can we show this on national television??"

"Um, we were airing live, ma'am," the cameraman answered.

"Oh no!" she cried. "I don't think it can't get much worse than this..."

Sally didn't know how wrong she was.

* * *

Don't worry, Sally's not going to be a main character or anything. I just needed to stick an annoying news reporter in there somewhere and none of the FE characters really fit the bill, so... yeah.

Nino: Tune in next time for the introduction of the contestants and the first elimination!

And remember - NO VOTING. If you vote, the story could be deleted AGAIN, and I don't think I'd want to start this over a 3rd time. Contestants will be eliminated based on their in-game relationships (from dialogue and supports) with the judges and the polls from the last version of this story. This doesn't mean that everyone will be eliminated in the same order as last time, though.

Nino: Enough ranting! Please review!


	3. Out from Backstage, into the Spotlight

I'm back! Wow, I haven't updated since October…

Nino: BAD author!! (punishes me)

Waah!! I'm sorry!! Thanks to the reviewers for your comments. I'm just going to get started with the chapter now…

**Chapter Three**

Finally, the commercial break was over. It was the official beginning of the Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant!

The lights were lowered, and a suspenseful drum beating came on. Spotlights flashed across the stage, and Sain stood at the center, holding his microphone and his index cards.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," he said, trying to make his voice go deeper than it was, "it is time for… the introduction of the contestants!!!"

The crowd went wild.

"And now… I will introduce our contestants in alphabetical order!" Sain continued. "The first contestant is a high-flying gal from way up north in Ilia! She loves working, shopping, and money! Please welcome… Farina!"

The crowd applauded the blue-haired Peg Knight as she came out onto the stage. Then, they were all subsequently blinded by her sparkly dress. It was blue velvet and strapless, and there were about two hundred diamonds on it. The spotlights made the diamonds' light reflect into the audience.

"Aughh!!" cried the majority of the people in the audience.

"Hmm…" Dart the pirate, the only one unaffected, said. "Those diamonds look familiar… Where have I seen them before?"

Farina did a queen wave to the crowd, showing off her expensive jewelry, her perfectly done manicure, and her classic hairstyle. No doubt she had spent a fortune on getting ready. She must have figured that she would get all of that money back (and more) when she won the contest.

"And now… another Peg Knight from Ilia… she's dutiful, strait-laced, and enjoys doing yoga! Please give a round of applause for… Fiora!"

Fiora came out in a long, aqua-colored dress which was pretty modest – it had straps and a one-inch slit up the side. No one knew it, but she hated the short-skirt she had to wear for her uniform. The dress reflected her personality perfectly.

"Next – the third and final Ilian girl! She's quiet and shy, but hardworking! And here she is… Florina!"

Florina poked her head out from behind the stage, and then timidly took a step. Fiora and Farina smiled encouragingly at her. Finally, she was front and center. She had decided to go natural – she wasn't wearing much makeup, her hair was in a nicer version of her usual style, and her dress was lavender and went a bit below her knees. She took her place next to Fiora, visibly shaking.

"Now it's time to welcome our only female knight, from Pherae! She's strong, determined, and… unfortunately… engaged! Here's… Isadora!"

Isadora had decided to wear her hair up, pinned to the back of her head. She wore a blue and white dress with a slit up the side. It had sleeves that covered her shoulders. She also wore high-heeled shoes.

Sain moved on quickly. "Next is a lady from up in Etruria! She's stylish, beautiful, and (sadly) married to the Mage General! Louise!"

Louise came out as if it were her wedding. She wore a huge, puffy, long pink gown with ruffles around the sleeves and the skirt. It was so long that the train trailed behind her. Her hair was more wavy than usual, and there was a flower in her hair. She smiled at the crowd and waved like Farina had.

"Yeah, Louise!" called Pent, snapping pictures with his camera.

The contestants all cried, "AH!" and blocked their eyes. The flashing from the camera were making them see spots.

Then suddenly, Louise tripped over her own dress and fell flat on her face. The crowd gasped.

Sain rushed over and helped the flustered Louise to her feet. Louise's face was bright red. Pent also made his way to the stage, but Hawkeye wouldn't let him on to help Louise.

"But she's my wife!" he cried. "Please, Hawkeye???"

"No contact with contestants," was the gruff reply.

"And now… she's a Sacaen from… well… Sacae! She's tall, fierce, and has a sword arm that any man would cower before! …Lyn!"

Lyn came out, her hair down long behind her back. She wore a dark dress with straps that was rather tight and ended right at her knees. She made a point of marching right up to the judge's table, particularly to Hector.

"See!!" she cried angrily. "I can act like a girl!"

"…Uh…" was Hector's reply.

"Next is a true, innocent girl who was sucked into the Black Fang… she loves to learn how to do new things! Please welcome Nino!!!"

The crowd went wild for Nino, because, well, who didn't love Nino? Even Jaffar was clapping, although his face was still expressionless.

Nino wore a ribbon like a headband around her hair. She had on a white, blue, and green dress that came below her knees and hung loosely. She was dressed like a little girl going to a party, complete with the Mary Jane shoes and the ribbon on the dress, but since she was Nino, she looked totally cute instead of stupid.

"Now… she's from Etruria, and she's a fiery redhead! She loves spending time with her family! It's… Priscilla!"

Priscilla's hair was back in a French braid. She had finally settled on a dress with a white, short-sleeved top and a green skirt bottom that went down to her ankles.

"Next is a green-haired girl from Pherae! She loves archery, cooking, and her family and friends! Please welcome Rebecca!"

Rebecca came out in a forest green dress that came to her mid-thigh. Her hair was curled and her makeup had actually turned out alright, despite the problems she had had earlier.

"Hi, Rebecca!" Wil said, waving to Rebecca from the judge stand. "Good luck!!"

"Thanks, Wil!" she called, waving back.

This made Wil happy, and he smiled to himself and went into a daze. Finally, his friendliness was paying off.

"And the final contestant… a loud cleric from Ostia, she loves fashion, gossip, and herself! Here's… Serra!"

The crowd clapped politely for Serra as she came out onto the stage. Her hair was down long and was more wavy than usual. Her dress was the same color as her usual outfit, only much fancier, with flowers lining the neck, and lace lining the skirt.

"I look SOO great!" she beamed, almost bouncing up and down.

"So there you have it, our contestants!!" cried Sain, motioning to the girls.

The crowd went wild with excitement. Most of the girls waved, huge smiles plastered on their faces.

"Unfortunately," Sain interrupted the applause, "we must eliminate one of these contestants… now!"

"WHAT???" cried everyone in unison.

"Yes, sadly, it's true," Sain said, regret in his voice. "Otherwise, we'll never have a winner. So judges… vote for who YOU think should get out!"

Everyone's attention was turned to Erk, Jaffar, Wil, and Hector. The judges looked bewildered – well, except Jaffar - but grabbed their paper and pens and began to scribble names…

And the girls held their breath, not sure of what was coming next…

* * *

Yes, it is done. Guess what? I figured out a way for you guys to vote without violating the rules!! Nino, would you please explain? 

Nino: Heh, the crowd loves me… Oh, yes, of course! Just follow these three steps!

#1 – Go to SweetMisery430's profile.

#2 – Click on 'E-mail' near the top of the page.

#3 – Send an e-mail including your username and the name of ONE person you want to get out.

Me: Yep, that's right! DO NOT VOTE IN YOUR REVIEW!!!! If you do, I will have to delete your review. Sorry. Please follow the steps above. You don't have to vote if you don't want to.

Nino: So please review on the site AND vote by e-mail if you wish to! And see you next chapter!


	4. Swim Until You Drop

Yes, I'm actually continuing this! I've been getting a bunch of reviews for it lately, so I felt guilty and decided I might as well finish this up. So here you have the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and supported this story, and thanks also to the people who voted!

**Chapter Four**

The four judges finally finished writing out their answers, and handed them all to Sain. He examined each of them very slowly, reading them one by one… Finally, he looked up. The audience sat on the edges of their seats, waiting expectantly.

"First of all, I would just like to thank all of you lovely ladies for putting so much effort into getting ready for this," Sain began. "It's really been a pleasure for me to see you all at your best. I feel horrible for having to eliminate one of you. And – "

"Just get to the point!" demanded some random audience member.

"Yeah!" agreed another one.

Sain sighed. "Oh fine. I am sorry to announce that the first person to be eliminated from the first annual Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant is…"

Canas inserted some drumroll special effects in here.

"…Isadora."

Isadora was visibly disappointed, but she still had a smile on her face. She'd only been doing it for fun, after all. The crowd good-naturedly clapped for her, after seeing how graciously she'd responded to the news. Isadora shook hands with Sain, was hugged by several of her fellow contestants, and then left the stage.

"And that means… that it's time for our first competition!" Sain announced.

The crowd cheered loudly.

"The first competition will be… the swimsuit competition!"

The crowd cheered even louder.

"In the swimsuit competition, the judges will come to a conclusion based on their opinions of each of the contestant's physique, water skills, and the contestant's attitude towards their physique and water skills. The judges will then eliminate the contestant they feel is lacking the most in all three areas. So, without further ado, let's head for the pool!"

Minutes later, the crowd had assembled themselves in the bleachers. A special platform with a table had been set up for the judges. The pool was huge and went up to thirteen feet deep. However, the water was crystal clear, and glistened in the sunlight, despite the fact that no one really used it.

"Well?" asked Matthew, stopping by the judges table to chat with Hector. "Are they fake or not?"

"Serra's eyelashes? Hey, I hate to say it, but… I think they were real…" Hector admitted.

"Are you serious?" Matthew cried. "But they're so long!"

Then, out of nowhere, a strong hand gripped Matthew's shoulder. It was Hawkeye.

"You," he ordered, and then pointed. "Seat."

Matthew sighed. "Yeah, sure, sure… I'll catch up with you later."

"Bye," said Hector.

Soon, Sain stood up on the platform and spoke into a microphone: "Is this thing on? Oh, good. Well, it is now time to begin our next competition!"

Sain signaled the girls, and they came out in single file, all decked out in multi-colored bathing suits. Some of them, admittedly, looked better than others, but mostly all of them looked confident.

"Judges, take this time to examine the contestant's physique," Sain said.

At this, Florina's face turned bright red. Fiora reassuringly patted her on the shoulder.

The judges – or at least, Hector and Wil – studied the contestants very closely. Erk and Jaffar seemed less than interested. Lyn, admittedly, had the best physique. She probably worked out more than all of the others put together. Some of the others were pretty good, too – the Pegasus Knights obviously did their fair share of exercise as well. The least impressive had to be Priscilla and Serra, who, as healers, didn't actually have to do that much physical work. Everyone else fell somewhere in the middle.

"Alright," Sain said about two minutes later. "Now, it's time to display water skills! We're just going to test the contestants on the basics, so there's nothing to worry about. Ladies, please enter the pool and show us your freestyle."

A lot could be seen about each contestant by how she entered the pool. Lyn dove in straight away, while Farina quickly slipped in, Fiora, Rebecca, Louise, and Priscilla eased themselves in, Nino and Florina nervously lowered themselves into the water, and Serra wrinkled her nose, tested the water with her foot, and then got in.

Serra, Priscilla, and Nino didn't seem to have much experience with swimming at all, but none of them were horribly bad. They managed to make it to the other side of the pool, but their techniques could use some perfecting.

Louise knew how to swim, but hadn't done it that often. She was better than the healers and Nino, but was not above average.

Fiora, Florina, and Farina had all been professionally trained to swim during their training as Pegasus Knights, although they hadn't been able to do much swimming in the snowy land of Ilia. They had strong strokes, but they weren't very graceful. Fiora and Farina were also much more confident, and therefore faster, than Florina.

Rebecca and Lyn were both very good swimmers – they'd both grown up doing it; Rebecca with her brother and Wil in the swimming holes of Pherae, and Lyn with her tribe in the rivers they'd stopped by.

When all of the girls had successfully made it to the other side of the pool, Sain called, "Alright, now let's switch to backstroke!"

The competition continued like this, with breaststroke following backstroke, and sidestroke following that. This was also, in a way, a test of endurance – Serra, Priscilla, and Nino grew tired after two laps, with Louise growing tired after three. Rebecca and the Pegasus Knights seemed to tire after four, while Lyn also seemed tired but ready to keep going if need be.

"The fifth and final lap," Sain announced, "will be elementary backstroke."

"What's that?" Serra asked Priscilla, breathing heavily.

"I… I don't know," Priscilla gasped. "But I don't think I can go on any longer."

In fact, none of the girls knew what elementary backstroke was. When none of them began swimming, Sain had mercy on them and decided that they could stop now.

"Give these ladies a round of applause!"

The crowd complied.

All of the girls climbed out of the pool and stumbled towards their towels. They practically collapsed to the ground after drying themselves off. Hector observed this with a wrinkled nose.

"This isn't a beauty pageant! This is torture!" he said to Wil, who was next to him.

"Yeah, that did seem pretty harsh," he agreed. "Maybe we should talk to Sain…?"

"Don't worry, this is by far the most physically challenging competition," Sain explained, having overheard them. "Next up is going to be a singing competition! Anyways, you guys had better get to voting now…"

"Singing!" cried Hector. "Oh, no… please!"

"Why ever not?" Sain asked, confused.

Hector looked at him incredulously. "Have you EVER heard Serra sing before?"

* * *

There you have it! Now please vote using the instructions given in Chapter Three. 

Nino: DO NOT VOTE IN YOUR REVIEWS. ONLY VOTE USING E-MAIL. AND ONLY VOTE FOR **ONE **PERSON TO GET OUT.

Yeah, that pretty much explains it. This story isn't really my top priority right now, but I'll try and update again soon.

Nino: So vote via e-mail, and review!


	5. Singing Causes Pain

WARNING: There are pop culture references in this chapter, such as Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, etc., because the girls have to sing a song in this chapter. So… if you don't like pop culture in your FE stories, don't read this!

Oh, and by the way, I don't own ANY of the songs mentioned.

**Chapter Five**

Once everyone was re-assembled in the auditorium, and the judges seated in their proper places on stage, it was time to reveal the name of the next contestant who would be eliminated.

The audience was debating between Serra and Priscilla at this point. They had been the weakest swimmers and had the least impressive physiques. They excluded Nino from this debate, because with Jaffar as a judge, she wouldn't get out this early.

Sain tapped the microphone – and almost broke it – until everyone had quieted down. He held several slips of paper – the judges' votes. He looked disappointed, as he was about to deliver some bad news to one of the girls.

"I now have the name of the next contestant to be eliminated," he said.

"And no long, boring introduction speeches this time!" hissed Hector from the sidelines, eager to get on with the competition.

Sain sighed. "Oh fine. My deepest apologies, and all of my love, go out to this next young lady who will no longer be part of this competition, but will always be allowed to participate in the competition for my heart…"

Hector slapped his forehead. No matter what, Sain still didn't listen. Sain rambled on for a few more minutes until the audience got restless, and then finally announced the name.

"So, I must now, sadly, eliminate…"

Everyone in the audience held their breath.

"…Priscilla."

Again, there was polite applause. Priscilla, too, was visibly disappointed, but not so upset that she burst in to tears or anything of the sort. She hadn't planned on getting out so early, but maybe it would be more fun to watch from the audience anyways.

In the audience, much more interesting things were going on.

"Dang it!" cried Dart, handed some gold pieces over to Geitz. "I can't believe I lost our bet! Serra should've lost for sure…"

Geitz shrugged. "I told you that mage boy has a thing for her, but you didn't listen… he may pretend not to like her, but he really secretly does."

In fact, only one judge had voted for Serra, and two had voted for Priscilla, while the last one had voted for someone else. Whether the judge who had voted for Serra was Erk or not was unknown.

Meanwhile, Raven was in a bad mood.

"She shouldn't have gotten out this early," he grumbled. "She's prettier than half of those girls. And they can't expect all of the girls to have endless endurance and wonderful swimming skills. Priscilla just wasn't raised that way."

"Ah, the protective older brother in you is speaking, Raymond," Lucius said with a smile.

Raven glared. "Shut up, Lucius, or I'll send you into the beauty pageant. Heck, you'd probably win, that's how much you look like a girl…"

And on stage, among the judges, things were also happening.

"Here," Hector whispered, passing the other three judges small packages.

"What's this?" asked Wil curiously.

"Oh, just some ear plugs," Hector explained. "For when Serra comes on."

Wil shrugged. "Okay. Works for me."

"And now, there will be a ten minute break so the girls can prepare for the singing competition," Sain announced, and ducked backstage to find out what songs the girls would be performing.

Ten minutes later, everyone was ready. The audience sat expectantly, waiting for the first performer to come on stage.

Sain reappeared, carrying yet another list. This one contained the order in which the girls would be singing, and what songs they would perform. The audience was fully ready to hear the girls sing, so all they needed to do now was sit through one more long speech by Sain. Eventually, the actual competition began.

First up was Nino. She had been randomly chosen to go first by a drawing. She performed the song "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie.

"The sun'll come out/tomorrow/Bet your bottom dollar/that tomorrow/there'll be sun."

She had a very sweet, pretty voice, but she had a bit of trouble hitting the high notes. Hector thought he even saw Jaffar smiling, of all things, during Nino's performance, but he shook his head. He HAD to be imagining.

Next was Florina, who did a very quiet rendition of Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway", which was sort of appropriate, considering she was a Pegasus Knight.

"I'll spread my winds and I'll learn how to fly/I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky."

She sounded like she knew the words and the tune pretty well, but no one could really hear her except for the judges. Her voice was fine; she just needed to project more.

The third person to go was Farina. No one was surprised when she performed Gwen Stefani's "Rich Girl".

"No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end/'Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl."

Her voice was nothing special, but it was okay. She at least sang all of the right notes, and she was actually VERY loud; quite the opposite from her sister.

Fourth up was Louise. She did the classic "You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes.

"You can't hurry love/No, you just have to wait/She said, love don't come easy/It's a game of give and take."

Surprisingly, Louise did not have that great of a voice. Backstage, Rebecca explained to the others how Louise had told her that she had never succeeded in art or music – the only thing she was REALLY good at was archery. Other than her voice, though, her performance was alright.

Rebecca was fifth. She sang "Breathe" by Michelle Branch.

"If I just breathe/And fill the space between/I'll know/Everything is alright."

Rebecca seemed to have a bit of stage fright, but she did a good job overall and seemed very upbeat throughout her performance. Wil could be heard clapping extra hard after she was done.

The sixth person up was Lyn. She strutted out on the stage confidently and began to belt out "All That Jazz" from the musical Chicago.

"C'mon babe/Why don't we paint the town/And all that jazz."

She had a surprisingly good alto voice. Hector sat straight up when she started singing, eyes widened with surprise. Her song went very well.

Seventh was Fiora. It was going to be tough to top Lyn's performance, but she did fine with her version of Jem's "Just a Ride".

"It's just a ride, it's just a ride/No reed to run, no need to hide."

It wasn't a very appropriate song for Fiora's personality – she was obsessive about pretty much everything – but later she admitted that she couldn't figure out what to sing and had just randomly stolen a CD from Farina. Her performance was okay, though, but not above average.

Last, to everyone's horror, was Serra. Sain had actually fixed the drawing so Serra would go last, because he'd noticed that no one really was looking forward to listening to her. She'd scar the judges so badly, and would therefore ruin the competition for the people going after her.

As soon as Serra came out, everyone discreetly put in the ear plugs Hector had passed out. Serra, of course, didn't notice, and began to sing Hilary Duff's "Come Clean." She was so loud that not even the super strong ear plugs stopped them from hearing her.

"Let the rain fall down/And wake my dreams/Let it wash away/My sanity."

"Like you have any left," muttered Hector.

"Ugh, I HATE Hilary Duff," Erk muttered, having been forced to listen to her CD one to many times while escorting Serra a year ago.

On the bright side, Serra was a good performer – she was confident and she even danced to her song, and not too badly (to the judges' surprise).On the other hand, her voice was just horrible. It sounded sort of like a mix between a dying cat and a little kid having a tantrum. And she was also painfully tone deaf, and way too loud.

Finally, it was over, and a sweaty and tired Serra left the stage – dancing had taken a lot out of her. It was strange, however, because she left with a smile on her face (Elimine knows why, considering her lack of a good voice). Perhaps she had absolutely no idea how bad she was. The judges almost felt sympathy for her. The key word there is 'almost'.

When all was said and done, the girls went backstage yet again to take a break and prepare for the next competition, which had not yet been disclosed to them. Meanwhile, Sain went out on stage and made yet another endless speech, congratulating all of the young ladies on their wonderful performances.

Then, he handed it off to the judges, who began voting. Who would be eliminated next? The answer was only moments away…

* * *

**A/N: **You know the drill! Check Chapter Three for voting instructions if you forget what you need to do, and vote for **ONE (1)** PERSON ONLY. **DO NOT** VOTE IN REVIEWS! Okay, thanks for reading! I am going on vacation, so I will continue this when I return in a week. Please leave a review! 


	6. Tense in the Tent

**Chapter Six**

The next elimination came as no surprise to anyone. After mentally fast-forwarding through yet another one of Sain's long, boring speeches, the audience learned that the next girl to be eliminated was…

"Serra," Sain announced, regretfully as always.

Of course, no one else really regretted it. Hector, Erk, and Wil appeared relieved, while Jaffar probably was as well, although he showed absolutely no emotion. Even various audience members were happy to see her go.

"No more of loud, screechy girl," Hawkeye said with a sigh.

"So you didn't like her either, huh?" Pent asked. "Well, I don't especially care who gets out… as long as it isn't Louise."

It seemed as if many of the girls had her own sort of fan or two in the audience – Pent and Hawkeye were one-hundred percent behind Louise, Dart was rooting for Rebecca, Legault supported Nino, Kent secretly was hoping Fiora won even though most people thought he would support Lyn (since she was his 'liege'), and Matthew was going for Lyn, because he knew Hector would have wanted him too.

After Serra had come out onto the stage sobbing her eyes out, she had received a 'consoling' hug from Sain. Then Sain had had Priscilla escort Serra off stage and into the bathroom so Serra could wipe her tears away. Serra and Priscilla were no longer fighting because now they had something in common – they were both out of the competition.

Then, Sain decided to announce the next competition. The girls were nervously waiting, hoping the challenge would be something they were actually good at. Fortunately for them, this contest was a bit… different.

"Our next competition," Sain began, "is based on endurance… only this time, the endurance of the mind."

"Endurance of the mind?" Lyn said incredulously, as she stood with the others backstage. "What kind of competition is that?"

The others mumbled in agreement.

"Merlinus has consented to let us use his tent," Sain explained. "The remaining girls will all have to sit inside of the tent for an unlimited amount of time. The first person who leaves the tent will be eliminated."

"So the judges have no say?" Hector asked. "Hey, that's not fair!"

Sain shrugged. "Actually, it's fairer. You gentlemen may be biased, for all I know. This will help us rightfully eliminate one girl."

Hector grumbled to himself, but said no more. Maybe Sain was actually right for once. But then again, when was Sain ever right? Hector tried to think of a time… Nope, never mind, there wasn't one.

"Alright then, let's head outside to the tent!" announced Sain, and the girls followed him out the door.

The tent was set up in part of Hector's extremely large, well tended to backyard. It was a nice out, as it had been during the swimming competition, and it was also very warm. The girls hadn't thought sitting in Merlinus's tent would be so bad, in this weather… until they saw how big the tent was close up, and realized that they were going to be closer together than they'd thought.

"Everybody in!" Sain said cheerily, opening up the tent flap.

The girls filed in one by one, searching for a place to sit. The tent was literally packed. There were weapons everywhere; on the floor, hanging on the walls, on shelves. The girls had to push many out of the way just to stand, let alone sit down. Finally, they'd cleared at least enough space for all of them to sit… but they weren't comfortable in the least.

Farina sat by the farthest wall, squished between one of Merlinus's shelves and her sister Fiora. Fiora was in between her two sisters, while Lyn sat next to Florina. Directly across from them – and within arm's length – were Nino, Rebecca, and Louise.

"Have fun!" Sain said, and then closed the flap.

It was dark in the Merlinus's tent. Too dark. No one could see anything. The first five minutes were passed in silence.

"Well… if we're stuck in here, we might as well make the most of it," Lyn finally said.

The others agreed, and they started amiable conversations with each other. The competition was left out of the discussion altogether. About half an hour passed during this time.

Then, more tension between the girls began to arise.

"No, you're wrong!" Farina was yelling. "I get paid more than you!"

"Not any more!" Fiora insisted. "I just got a promotion, and Lord Pent overpaid me for the last mission I was sent on… He even gave me a white gem! After I sell it, I'll have more money than you!"

"Yeah, but you don't care about money! So you shouldn't have that much!"

"I do too care! I just only care about using it for practical things like supporting my family, not spending it on trivial things like a _crown for my Pegasus_."

"Hey! That crown looks really cute on Murphy!"

"SO? It's useless! It's a waste of your money! You could've bought yourself a bed or a meal with that much money, or perhaps even more than one! You have no common sense!"

"Well, cents are more important in today's society than sense, so I am bound to go along with it!" announced Farina.

"P-please, no fighting, sisters!" Florina tried to put in, but no one heard her.

Meanwhile, Louise would not stop rambling on and on about what it was like in Etruria, and what her house looked like, and how nice everyone was, and blah blah blah… Nino and Rebecca were beginning to get head aches.

"So I said to Pent, 'Well, why don't we just invite them here for the holiday?', and he said, 'Louise, that is such a wonderful idea! I can't believe I didn't think of it! I shall ask them right away'. And so the week passed, and they arrived. Only there was one problem. The earl's wife had brought along all of her pets, including ten puppies, three birds, a turtle, a snake, and several tree frogs, which were all quite disruptive, except for the turtle, I guess. So I decided that the animals could be kept in the courtyard, but the lady wanted them all in her room so she could be near them at night! The only room big enough to hold all of that, however, was Pent's and my bedchamber, and so we had a dilemma on our hands, because I didn't want to switch bed rooms. But the lady insisted…"

"How long has she been at it?" Nino asked Rebecca.

"I think it's been five hours now," Rebecca replied sarcastically.

Soon, the only sounds coming from the tent were Farina and Fiora arguing, and Louise rambling. Lyn was starting to get annoyed…

"QUIET!" she yelled, and immediately, everyone became silent. "I think we all need a break from talking. Let's have some quiet time right now, alright?"

Everyone agreed, and fell back into her own thoughts.

_Grr… Everyone's really getting on my nerves. But I can't get out so early and make Hector think I'm a sissy, _thought Lyn.

_Maybe after quiet time, Rebecca and I can make necklaces out of these blades of grass, _decided Nino as she fingered a random piece of grass she'd picked out of the ground.

_I wish my sisters wouldn't fight so much…_ Florina thought.

_Farina's wrong. I can't believe how stupid she is sometimes, _thought Fiora

_Fiora's wrong. I can't believe how unimaginative she is sometimes, _thought Farina.

_I wonder if Wil liked my dress… _thought Rebecca.

_I'm glad that earl's wife hasn't tried to get together with me again, _thought Louise. _Her puppies ruined all of my bed sheets…_

After another half an hour, everyone lapsed back into conversation. Nino and Rebecca started making jewelry out of grass. Louise started playing with her hair obsessively. Farina began counting some spare change she'd found in her pocket. Fiora and Florina were discussing the types of food they fed their pegasi. Lyn was imaging how much fun it would be when she kicked Nergal's butt… and Hector's, too, while she was at it.

Then, nature started to kick in.

"I'm hungy," Nino said after her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Me too," agreed Rebecca.

"I… I have to go to the bathroom," Florina admitted.

"I have a headache," complained Louise.

"It's too warm in here," Farina said irritably.

"No, it's too cold," Fiora argued, motioning to goose bumps on her arms, launching yet another fight.

"My mind is under duress from your constant talking," Lyn mumbled.

* * *

Outside of the tent, the men and eliminated contestants were throwing a picnic party. Everyone was eating sandwiches and sipping lemonade, all prepared by Lowen.

"Who will crack first, do you think?" Hector asked Matthew as he chowed down on his turkey sandwich.

"As cute as she is, I'd say Nino," Matthew said. "She's the youngest… she won't be able to handle it."

"Nah, I'd say Florina," Hector replied. "I can't see her taking it too well…"

"You're both wrong!" Wil said triumphantly. "Louise will. She's rich; she isn't used to sitting in a tent."

Jaffar shook his head. "Farina."

"Did Jaffar actually say something?" Erk asked, shocked.

"…" said Jaffar.

"Never mind," mumbled Erk, and turned back to Pent. "Master, do you think Louise will make it?"

"I don't know," Pent admitted. "She's never done anything like this before. But she has a way of turning even the direst situation into something fun and interesting. She practically thinks this war we're at right now is a party… Anyhow, I'm sure she's getting along just fine."

"Look!" called Sain, pointing towards the tent. "Someone's coming out!"

Everyone dropped their food and ran towards the tent. Sure enough, a hand was reaching out and pushing the tent flap aside. And then, as everyone leaned closer, the person who emerged was…

* * *

**A/N:** And now it's voting time! Go to Chapter Three for instructions if you need them. And please leave a review! See you all next chapter! 


	7. Lyn and Sugar Do Not Mix

**Chapter Seven**

Everyone dropped their food and ran towards the tent. Sure enough, a hand was reaching out and pushing the tent flap aside. And then, as everyone leaned closer, the person who emerged was…

"I'm so sorry, Pent!" Louise sobbed as she stumbled out of the tent. "I couldn't take it any more! I had such a bad migraine; I thought I was going to die! I had to come out!"

Pent, while visibly disappointed, said, "It's alright, Louise. Let's take you inside so you can lie down."

As Pent and Louise walked away together, Sain announced, "Well, I guess that's that, then! You can all come out of the tent now!"

Immensely relieved, Lyn, Nino, Rebecca, Fiora, Florina, and Farina practically lunged out of the tent. Florina went sprinting for the bathroom, Lyn took deep calming breaths, Farina and Fiora stretched, and Nino and Rebecca went in search of food.

"So… hungry…" Nino moaned as she limped around, looking for something to eat, clutching her stomach.

"Here," said Jaffar's voice out of nowhere.

Nino turned around and saw Jaffar standing behind her, holding a sandwich. She did not hesitate to grab it from him.

"Thanks, Jaffar!" she cried, and then proceeded to stuff the entire sandwich in her mouth at once and chew enthusiastically.

Jaffar just watched her with raised eyebrows.

Meanwhile, Rebecca took quite a different approach in finding some food. She strode right over to Wil, snatched the sandwich out of her hands, and said, "Thanks for letting me have your sandwich, Wil!"

Then she strode away, leaving a baffled Wil behind.

"I never said you could – ! Oh, never mind…" Wil said with a sigh. "Why do I even bother?"

After all of the girls recovered, which was about ten minutes after the competition had ended, Sain decided it was time to start getting ready for the next competition. This time, the judges would be able to vote, however.

"The next competition will be based on something all ladies should know about!" Sain announced. "Etiquette! We will hold the etiquette competition in the dining room. Lowen has agreed to prepare food for the event. The judges will attend the meal alongside the girls, and then they will decide who to vote for based on who has the best manners. Now let's all head inside!"

* * *

Serra and Priscilla had finally left the bathroom after Serra's long crying fest. They emerged to find Raven and Lucius waiting for them at the entrance of the girls' room.

"Brother! What are you doing here?" Priscilla asked. "Isn't the next event starting soon?"

Raven shrugged. "Yes, I suppose… but I had an idea. An idea that you might like."

Lucius shook his head vehemently. "No, Lord Raymond! Do not infuse your plots of revenge into Priscilla's head! Not only will her innocence be corrupted, but Lord Hector will find out and have you put to death! And then I'll be all alone because all of my friends will be dead!" Lucius gave Raven his infamous puppy face, one that nobody, let alone Raven, could resist. "Please don't do it."

"Please, Lucius," Raven said with a roll of his eyes. "This has nothing to do with my revenge plots for Ostia… Although we'll discuss those later. This has to do with my revenge plans for this beauty pageant."

"W-what?" Lucius cried.

"Brother, what are you talking about?" Priscilla asked, appearing concerned. "You aren't planning on demanding I get put back in the competition, are you? Because I'm just fine with being out. It's more fun to watch the competitions then to participate in them, actually. I never intended to win when I entered. I just wanted to enjoy myself."

Raven sighed. "Priscilla, if you were still in the competition, you'd still have a shot at winning the prize. And we need that prize."

"…What IS the prize, anyways?" Serra put in, sniffling.

"I'd assume it's a whole lot of money," Raven answered. "And if we had that money… do you know what we could do?"

Priscilla looked at him inquisitively.

"We could restore House Cornwell," he continued. "We could pay off all of the debts and bring honor back to our family name. What do you think of that?"

"You mean… we could go home and live as a family again?" Priscilla cried excitedly. "But… Mother and Father are…"

"Perhaps… But anyways, what I'm saying is, we need that money a LOT more than somebody rich like Lyn or well-paid like the Pegasus Knights do," Raven concluded.

"Lord Raymond, you should not discuss such things," Lucius said. "Priscilla's already out; there's no changing the past. She tried her best and had a good time; what more could we ask for? Elimine obviously has made this all happen for a reason!"

"Shut up, Lucius," Raven said. "I still know a way we can win."

Serra crossed her arms. "If you know a way YOU can win, would you mind telling me a way that _I _could win?"

"Hmm, let's see… if you help us out, I'll give you twenty-five percent of the prize," Raven offered.

Serra considered this, and then nodded. "Deal. So what's your plan?"

"Raymond!" Lucius said. "You shouldn't!", at the same time that Priscilla said, "Brother, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Now, Lucius, you can't go backing out on me," Raven said. "You're the cornerstone of my plan. Now come on, let's find somewhere private where we can work this all out…"

* * *

Louise smiled evilly as soon as she heard that the next competition was of the etiquette variety. She and Pent had returned to watch the rest of the pageant after Louise had taken some Advil and gotten a cool cloth for her forehead.

"Louise, why are you smiling in such an odd way?" her husband inquired.

Louise just smiled wider. "The next competition's all about politeness and manners!" she replied gleefully.

"…So?" Pent asked, thoroughly confused.

Louise said, "Well, it may have to do with the fact that none of those girls know a THING about etiquette…"

* * *

"This is Sally from St. Elimine TV!" the hyper blond reporter said, a microphone held up to her face. "I'm reporting to you live from the Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant! We're once again checking in with our four judges right before the etiquette competition, which is taking place in Castle Ostia's lavish dining room. A four-course meal will be served, during which the judges must watch and see who has the best etiquette, and who's lax in manners. Then, they will eliminate one of the six remaining ladies. I'm going to exclusively interview these four fine young gentlemen about their opinions of the contest thus far. We'll start with Hector, the Marquess of Ostia's younger brother. Hector, who do you think has an advantage this round?"

"Well, no one, actually," Hector said with a grin. "Lyn, of course, doesn't know the last thing about etiquette; I mean, she was so desperate that she asked Eliwood, of all people, to teach her how to act like a lady. Nino's been raised by the Black Fang, Rebecca's a country girl, and the Pegasus Knights are mercenaries. None of them have any experience with dinners like this."

"I see," Sally said, swiveling back towards the camera. "So, viewers… as you see, none of the girls have a clear advantage here. Let's check in with the other judges for just a moment… Erk, what do you think of all this?"

"I'm happy that it's closer to being over than it was last round," he retorted.

Sally raised her eyebrows and turned to Wil. "And how about you, young man?"

"I think… that I'm glad we're about to eat a meal!" Wil said finally. "Rebecca stole my sandwich, so I'm starved."

"Uh, I see… so let's hear the last word from Jaffar," Sally said, turning to the former Black Fang assassin.

"…" said Jaffar.

"Well, that's, um, quite interesting!" Sally said. "So… let us let the competition unfurl… and see what happens!"

When she was sure the camera had been turned off, Sally made her way towards the door, muttering, "They don't pay me enough to do this…"

* * *

"Let the competition… begin!" declared Sain, and the audience – who was watching the competition in the next room over via televisions hooked up to hidden cameras in the dining room – was silenced.

Lowen, when signaled by Sain, brought out the first course – chicken noodle soup. As soon as bowls had been set in front of them, each and every one of the girls dug in without another thought. This, of course, was not exactly good manners. Sain slipped out of the room to watch the rest of the competition with the audience.

"Mmf… dis ish reely gewd, Lowen," Rebecca said with her mouth full.

"Yeah," Nino added, her elbows propped up on the table as she blew on a spoonful of broth – some of which somehow landed on Erk's nose – before slurping it down loudly.

"How much did you pay for this?" Farina asked, wrinkling her nose. "It seems like it might just be a cheap Campbell's rip off or something…"

"Uh, it is homemade, actually," Lowen informed her.

"Well, I don't like it!" announced Farina, pushing it aside.

"Farina!" hissed Fiora. "That was rude! You should have just said you didn't want any, not that you didn't like it!"

"Well, you're not the boss of me!" Farina shot back.

"I AM your older sister, and I'm only looking out for your well-being!" Fiora said, dropping her spoon to the table. It landed with a loud clatter.

"S-sisters… please…" Florina tried to intrude, although once again, she went unheard.

Lyn, meanwhile, was still exhausted from the mental endurance competition, and was slumped in her chair, staring at the wall mindlessly.

"Earth to Lyn… hello?" asked Hector, waving his spoon at her from across the table. "Are you in there?"

"Huh?" asked Lyn, sitting up suddenly. "You say something?"

"No, not a word," Hector lied, pretending to stir his bowl of soup.

Lyn shrugged, and promptly went back into her slumping position. The eating of soup continued in this fashion, with all of the girls exemplifying horrible manners, except for maybe Florina, who was just sitting there, keeping to herself.

The second course, salad was brought out shortly after the first.

"Oh, good, something healthy," Rebecca said enthusiastically. "Wil, you eat too much junk food. This salad will be good for you."

Unfortunately, Wil did not hear her. He was too busy stuffing his face.

"Oh, Wil, you're face is covered in ranch dressing!" cried Rebecca. "Here, let me get that for you."

She picked up her napkin and began to wipe Wil's face for him.

"Uh, Rebecca? I can do that myself, you know… And, I, uh, don't think it's good manners to use your own napkin on other people."

"Oh… really?" Rebecca asked, appearing perplexed. "Well… if you say so."

She tossed her napkin and picked up Wil's instead, then continued her scrubbing of his face. She didn't see the other napkin land on top of Jaffar's head. This, of course, made Nino burst out into laughter, causing half chewed up lettuce to spray everywhere.

"Jaffar, you look so silly with that dirty napkin on your head!" she cried, holding onto the table for support.

"…" said Jaffar, tentatively picking the napkin off of his head and dropping it onto the table.

"I hate this…" muttered Erk, observing as Fiora and Farina resorted to throwing croutons at each other. "I wanna go to bed…"

Lyn mirrored Erk's desire to sleep. It seemed that her one weakness was a mental one, not a physical one. She had fallen asleep, and she'd fallen face first into her salad.

And throughout all of this, still Florina sat silently, scarcely eating anything, and saying even less, excluding the occasional attempt to stop her sisters from fighting.

Then the third course, which was a nice juicy piece of steak with mashed potatoes as a side, was brought out. Lyn woke up long enough for her salad plate to be taken away, and for her bed of lettuce to be exchanged for a bed of fluffy potatoes.

Hector, meanwhile, was having a good old time laughing at all of the food on Lyn's face. This was more like a spectator sport than it was a competition; at least, to him, it was.

Nino and Rebecca dug right into their third course, eating in the same careless fashion they had before.

"I've never eaten anything as good as this!" exclaimed Nino between bites. "Remember Legault's cooking back at the Black Fang, Jaffar? Boy, was it bad…"

In the audience, Legault muttered, "I resent that."

"Yeah, my mom's a good cook, but Lowen's ten times better," agreed Rebecca.

"Hmm… would you like me better if _I _could cook?" asked Wil, getting evil ideas.

Rebecca shrugged. "Wil, you're probably the worst cook on the face of this earth. You didn't even know how to crack an egg until you were fourteen."

"So…?" Wil said, his face falling.

"And I like you the way you are!" Rebecca added quickly, seeing his sad face. "I cook well enough for the both of us."

Wil brightened. "Oh, good!"

"Is not!" cried Farina, flinging some mashed potatoes into Fiora's hair.

"Is too!" responded Fiora, returning the favor.

"Sisters! Sisters, please…" Florina said once again, to no avail.

Finally, they were down to the last course – dessert. Lowen had made a chocolate cake and a large pot of tea. Since everybody loves chocolate, they were all silenced the moment he brought it in and set it down before them.

"Mmm…" they all said simultaneously.

Even Lyn woke up. "Must… have… sugar…" she muttered, pouring the entire contents of the sugar bowl into her tea, and then gulping it down. A moment later, she was restored to her normal self. "That stuff is STRONG. I'm guessing it's not decaffeinated…?"

"No, uh, it is, actually," Lowen informed her.

"Oh," Lyn said. "Oh well!"

She gulped down the rest of her tea in one sip.

"Yum, yum, yum…" Nino said as she stuffed the chocolate cake in her mouth. "This stuff is the best, isn't it, Jaffar?"

"…" said Jaffar, whose slice of cake remained untouched.

Noticing this, Nino shoved her empty plate aside and asked, "Are you gonna eat that?"

Jaffar shook his head, and Nino took her plate and devoured her second slice. Erk looked on with wide eyes.

"I never knew Nino… liked to eat so much…" he murmured, and then turned back to his chocolate cake. Even Erk liked the cake, despite the fact that he was in a sour mood.

Wil and Rebecca were eating their cake slightly more civilly than Nino was, but were unfortunately talking with full mouths.

"Dis is zoooo gud…" Rebecca said. "Lowen, iz der enny moor?"

"I lahk id, too," agreed Wil. "Ish vairy shweet…"

"Wow, don't you just love sugar, Hector?" Lyn cried passionately at the other end of the table – obviously, she was high on sugar. "It's so good… it gives you so much energy… it's keeping me awake… I love it… we didn't have much sugar in Sacae, so I don't have it that much… but I still love it… it's one of my favorite foods… sugar is a food, right? Not just, like, an additional spice? Hector, are you listening? Huh, huh, huh?"

Hector just looked at her, appalled. "Lowen… do you have anything that will somehow wash out all of the sugar she just ate?"

"No, milord, I'm sorry," Lowen apologized. "But… I do have a laxative…"

Hector shook his head. "Sorry, Lyn, but I have to do this." He turned to Lowen. "Bring her a glass of water with the laxative in it, okay?"

"Uh… yessir!"

"Huh?" Lyn interrupted. "What are you talking about? Huh? Were you talking about sugar? Because I like sugar…"

And lo and behold, Farina and Fiora were still fighting, only now using chocolate cake. They were both covered in brown crumbs from head to toe, not to mention with the rest of the meal, as well – lettuce, steak, mashed potatoes. They were walking dinners.

"You are SOO wrong!"

"I'm not wrong, I'm absolutely right!"

"No you aren't!"

"Yes I am!"

"NO YOU AREN'T!"

"YES I AM!"

Florina had had it just about up to there. She couldn't take it anymore.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" she yelled, so loudly that the entire room was silenced.

No one noticed, however, that as she shot up out her seat, she knocked over her cup of tea. No one, except Hector, who unfortunately got tea spilled all over his lap. This was the second time that day a hot beverage had been dumped on him.

"YOUCH!" cried Hector, grabbing for a napkin.

Unfortunately, he grabbed the tea kettle instead, consequently spilling tea all over everybody else. It took a moment for the fact that they were all covered in burning hot liquid to sink in. But when it did, it was not a pretty sight.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

"Well, this is NOT good," Sain muttered as he watched the goings-on in the next room over.

Louise, meanwhile, was laughing so hard that she could barely breathe. Pent was trying to get her to stop, hoping this would not end up being detrimental to Louise's health.

"Alright, uh, the competition's over!" Sain announced, running into the kitchen after Rebecca and Wil ran into each other and both fell to the ground howling in pain. "You can all go and clean that tea off of yourselves now!"

A cheer went up, and the girls were gone before Sain could get another word in edgewise. Lyn, of course, was heading for the bathroom.

"Thank God…" muttered Erk, following suit by hastily making his way towards the exit, Wil, Hector, and Jaffar close behind.

"Uh, uh, uh," Sain said, grabbing Erk by the collar before the mage could escape. "You guys need to stay here and vote!"

"Sain, I feel like my body is on fire, I'm tired, I'm fed up, and I DO NOT CARE WHO GETS OUT," Erk yelled. "Thanks to your 'lovely' contestants I am covered in food, and that does NOT make me happy."

"Erk, Erk, please calm down!" Sain said hurriedly. "Please, just tell me who you think should get out and you can leave right away!"

Erk grumbled, but despite himself, he stayed long enough to vote, as did the others. Once they'd all submitted their votes, they left as fast as they could.

But not before Hector had said, "Sain, this was probably the worst idea for a competition you ever had."

"I know," Sain agreed. "But it did make for entertaining reality TV. Why, that blonde lady from St. Elimine TV was rolling on the floor laughing."

Hector rolled his eyes. "Well, let's just hope the next competition is less degrading and more low-key."

Sain laughed nervously. "Uh, well, we'll see…"

* * *

A/N: I'm going on vacation for a week, so no updates on anything until then! So please vote (but NOT in reviews) using the instructions in Chapter Three, and I'll see you all next chapter! And please review! 


	8. May It Be Really Strange Dancing

**A/N**: Hi everyone! Sorry for my horrible lack of updates. I have been so busy with school and whatnot, as usual. But I am back with updates now! I'm about to start winter break, so I have a ton of time off to do whatever I want. So here's chapter 8; and see the bottom of the chapter for an important question!

**Chapter Eight**

After a brief half an hour break, filled with extremely short naps, quick hot showers, and many trips to the bathroom (all made by Lyn, to Hector's amusement), it was time to get back to the competition. It was also time to listen to another one Sain's long and boring elimination speeches.

Everyone met once again in the main hall that had been serving as an auditorium. Once all of the six remaining girls and the four judges had assembled on stage, Sain made his way to the microphone, and ordered Dorcas to lower the lights and put a single spotlight on him in preparation for one of his dramatic monologues.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sain said in a hushed voice. "We are now down to only six contestants. But soon, the number will only be five. Our judges have unanimously voted for one of the remaining girls to be eliminated. For reasons beyond my control, I am extremely devastated by their decision, and will greatly regret this day for the rest of my life. I am sure that I will nearly fall into a pit of despair with grief after one of these girls leaves us. However, we must deal with depression and move on. As sorry as I am to say, I must now tell you who has been chosen to get out…"

"Wow. That was one of his shorter ones," observed Rebecca, and Nino nodded in agreement.

"The female voted off this round will be…"

People leaned forward; breath was held; and Sain took one of his now infamous long pauses.

"…Farina."

"WHAT?" Farina shrieked in a voice so loud that it may have shattered several of Castle Ostia's ornate glass windows. "HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN VOTED OFF? AND UNANIMOUSLY? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU STUPID JUDGES? DIDN'T YOU KNOW I WOULD PAY YOU ALL HANDSOMELY IF I WON? AND I NEEDED THAT PRIZE, DANG IT! AFTER ALL OF THAT MONEY I SPENT ON GETTING READY FOR THIS… I SWEAR, I WILL SUE ALL OF YOU FOR DOING THIS TO ME UNTIL YOU ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS!"

The room fell into complete and utter silence, with everyone staring at Farina blankly. Farina, who appeared out of breath after her short rant, said nothing. After several more tense seconds, Sain turned to Hawkeye, who was hiding backstage.

"Uh, please escort the lovely Miss Farina off the stage," he said, shooting a nervous glance at Farina, who looked like she might become very violent at any moment.

Without hesitating, Hawkeye came onto the stage, swung Farina over his shoulder, and walked away.

"HEY, WATCH IT, MISTER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT, YOU PERVERT! I SWEAR, YOU'LL ALL BE HEARING FROM MY LAWYER!"

Her voice faded away as Hawkeye disappeared.

"Uh, well… Next up is yet another new, exciting competition!" Sain announced, breaking the awkward silence. "Do you know what you'll be doing next, ladies?"

"No, Sain, of course we don't," a now restored to normal Lyn replied matter-of-factly. "Obviously, we have no idea. You're the one running the show here, not us."

"Oh, such harsh words from such a lovely lady!" cried Sain, pretending to be mortally wounded. "Ah, well, such goes life…"

"Strange how he gets more offended at Lyn making a simple statement than he does at Farina threatening to sue his pants off…" Fiora commented quietly to Florina.

"Anyhow, I suppose I will just have to tell you about the next competition!" Sain said. "You girls… are going to be dancing!"

Gasps could be heard all over the room – delighted ones, horrified ones, totally weirded out ones (from Erk), and so on and so forth.

"But that's not all!" Sain continued. "The remaining five contestants will get a dancing partner. They have half-an-hour to prepare a ninety second dance of any type, although both partners must be involved in the performance."

"How will the partners be chosen?" Hector asked from the judge's table.

Sain smiled pleasantly. "Why, we will randomly choose them out of a hat, of course! However, only five names shall be placed in the hat – the names of the four judges, and my own!"

"What?" cried Erk, Hector, Wil, and even Jaffar.

"That's right! You gentlemen… are going to dance!"

The bewildered girls and judges stared at each other, eyes wide with shock and dread. Through their heads flashed bad images of horrible dancing and equally horrible feelings to go along with it. Florina, especially, couldn't help squirming at the thought of being so close to a _man_. And Erk was having bad images of Nino forcing him to do the Macarena.

"So… Let's pick the pairs, and then we'll have a break so you can all get ready!" Sain said, ignoring the reactions of the others. "I have two helmets here; Kent's and my own."

In the audience, Kent sighed. So that's where his helmet had gone. Figures. Sain couldn't keep his hands off anything that didn't belong to him already. And he never bothered to ask for permission, either.

"In Kent's helmet are the names Hector, Erk, Wil, Jaffar, and, of course, Sain. In my helmet are the names Lyn, Florina, Nino, Rebecca, and Florina. I will ask for a volunteer from the audience to randomly pick a paper from each helmet," Sain explained.

"I'll do it!" volunteered Matthew, hopping up onto the stage before Sain could even reply.

Hector slapped his forehead. Matthew was probably about to have the time of his life, watching Hector dance with one of the girls. If there was one thing the Marquess of Ostia's younger brother didn't do, it was dance.

"Go right ahead!" Sain replied cheerily, offering the helmets to Matthew.

Matthew shuffled around in the two helmets, and then picked out two small pieces of paper. Everyone tensed up as he unrolled them and began to read.

"Erk…"

Erk tensed and squeezed his eyes shut. This could NOT really be happening.

"…and Rebecca."

Erk waited for a moment to see if this was really true. After seeing that it was (and that he was not dreaming) he allowed himself to feel relieved. At least he was with someone halfway sane. Maybe Rebecca would allow him to do one of those 'I'm swaying and therefore I'm dancing but I'm not really dancing' type dances. Rebecca smiled and waved at Erk, obviously happy she wasn't with someone scary like Hector or Jaffar… or Sain, God forbid.

Everyone else tensed up as two more names were picked.

"Wil… and Fiora."

Fiora eyed Wil uneasily. Wil smiled brightly at her. Well, this was going to be interesting, in the least. She looked at the other girls, who were all still totally anxious. The only guys left now were Hector, Jaffar, and Sain. Florina didn't really want to be with any of them.

Matthew picked the next two names quickly.

"Jaffar… and Nino."

Jaffar, surprisingly, looked extremely relieved, as did Nino.

"We are together, we are together!" Nino sang, running over to Jaffar. "I can't believe this, Jaffar! Our dance will be totally great! I mean, we know each other so well that we can make up something good like that!"

She snapped her fingers to represent how fast they'd choreograph something. Jaffar just nodded silently. He was just thankful that he hadn't end up with the one of the others.

"Okay, so I guess this is the final pick," Matthew said. "Once I pick two more names, the only two un-called names will also be partners."

Florina was about to die of nervousness, if such a thing was possible. She could only end up being partners with Hector or Sain – the scariest men in the entirety of Eliwood's army! Hector, of course, was huge and always swung around that big axe of his. Not to mention that he hated her because Huey had accidentally almost killed him that one time… And Sain… Well, he was just scary in an entirely different way.

Matthew deliberately picked the final two names slowly. Lyn appeared to be a bit anxious as well. She knew she could deal with Hector or Sain, but the real question was, did she want to? And besides, she had no idea how to dance…

"And the paper reads…" Matthew began, "Hector…"

Pause.

"…and Florina."

Florina stood glued to her position, eyes so wide they looked like they might pop out of her head. Hector nodded amiably. Well, at least he wasn't with Lyn. She would just beat him up.

Lyn, meanwhile, sighed disappointedly. Great. Her and Sain, dancing together. It was her dream come true. Not.

"So there you have it! Now let the preparation time commence!" called Sain.

And so the five pairs parted, in hopes of choreographing a dance that, while not entirely idiotic, would surely impress the judges enough to get them to the next round.

* * *

Half an hour later, they all gathered once again the ballroom, the five pairs decked out in the proper costumes and ready to go. Florina shook with nervousness as Hector repeatedly banged his head against the wall. Erk kept pretending to tie his shoes, but was really just sulking while Rebecca was humming their group's music to herself. Fiora glanced at Wil nervously, hoping he wouldn't forget his part. Nino was adjusting her outfit while Jaffar stood in the shadows. And Lyn was keeping a sharp eye on Sain, who was making bad jokes and laughing nervously.

Erk and Rebecca were first up, because they're names had been the first picked. Erk tensed himself and followed Rebecca to the middle of the floor. Rebecca wore plaid skirt and a white blouse. Her hair was down in curls, and she was wearing special dancing shoes that went almost to her knees. Erk wore the same type of shirt and shoes, but he wore navy blue pants instead. At the last minut,e his panic worsened. By St. Elimine, why had he agreed to do this? This was perhaps worse than doing the Macarena with Nino…

Rebecca nodded to Canas, who turned on their music. A sudden blast of violin music came out of the many speakers strategically placed around the room. Rebecca smiled and nodded at Erk encouragingly.

And lo and behold, they began to Irish step dance.

There was not a single mouth in the room that had not dropped open. Pent's jaw was now almost on the floor. This because, no matter how strange it was to see Erk Irish step dance… it was stranger to see that he was actually _good _at it.

"Who knew?" Serra whispered to Priscilla in a gossipy voice. The two of them had snuck in to view the dancing competition while Raven and Lucius were making plans elsewhere. "Erk has such talent!"

"Yes. That is why I adore him so," Priscilla said romantically, her eyes wide with admiration.

"Hey, wait a minute!" snapped Serra. "Erk may be the best Irish step dancer out there, and only people who can deal with his eventual fame and fortune may have a relationship with him! Such as myself…"

"B-but – "

"Ladies. Take it outside, or I take you out," Hawkeye told them sternly.

They shut right up.

The dance concluded a minute or so later, and great applause was given.

"Erk, you are extremely talented!" cried Sally, running up to Erk with her ever-present microphone. "When did you learn how to dance like that? And where? And from who?"

Erk rolled his eyes and walked away. He'd done more than he should've by even getting up to dance. No way was he doing some dumb interview. Sally was soon trampled by Erk's fan girls – Priscilla and Serra – who were ranting about how amazing he was, and who dragged Erk backstage so they could praise him further. Erk wanted to melt into the ground and die, but there was nothing he could do. Rebecca, meanwhile, was just happy to be done. She'd been just as good as Erk, so she was fairly confident about her current position.

Next were Wil and Fiora. Fiora came up to explain their dance before Canas put the music on.

"We chose to do an interpretive dance based on the song 'May It Be', originally performed by Enya," she told the audience. "Interpretive dance is a great way to relax and express yourself, so we thought it would be a nice performance."

She joined Wil at the center. Fiora wore a black long-sleeved shirt, pants, and socks, while Wil wore the same outfit in white. It was obviously to give some sort of effect. No one knew what it was, but oh well.

The slow, dramatic music started, and Fiora and Wil started to do very strange, if intriguing, movements with their bodies. Apparently, the song had a lot to do with darkness and light, and hence, the outfits. Wil constantly waved his arms around, pretending to be the sun or a star, or something like it, while Fiora kept creeping around and doing lots of strange turns in order to pretend she was "darkness falling". It wasn't a bad dance, per se, just… different.

At the end, everyone clapped once again. Fiora said something polite to Wil and ran off stage, hoping their performance hadn't been too horrible, while Wil stayed in the spotlight and waved at the crowd, calling, "Thank you, thank you!"

When Hawkeye had eventually dragged Wil away, Nino and Jaffar made their way up. It was their turn. Nino looked so excited she might burst. She wore her hair back in a bun, and wore a pink leotard and tutu, while Jaffar, as usual, was totally expressionless and wore a very plain, grayish colored outfit.

"Um, hi everyone!" Nino greeted the audience.

"Hi, Nino!" the audience replied enthusiastically.

"Jaffar and I are going to be doing a number from the Nutcracker," she explained. "I… I really love ballet, and I've been practicing it recently in my spare time, so, uh… I guess here goes!"

The audience clapped, and Canas turned on the music, which was from the scene in the Nutcracker in which the Sugarplum Fairy does her famous dance. Nino, who had started out with her hands above her head and in first position, began to do her dance. She was actually very good, for someone who had never been trained in ballet. Jaffar didn't actually dance. He just occasionally lifted Nino in the air for some of the fancier moves she was doing. No one could argue with this, however – Sain _had_ said the male partner only needed to be involved, not that he actually had to dance.

At the end, there was even more applause, and Jaffar and Nino, her face bright red with happiness at having successfully finished the performance, shuffled away. Hector and Florina shuffled on instead.

"Um, uh, h-hello, everyone," Florina said. "I'm, uh, F-Florina, as you know, and, uh… I-I decided that, um, me and, uh, my partner should, uh, do a… a waltz."

The entire audience promptly cracked up at the thought of Hector waltzing.

"Shuddup," muttered Hector.

"Um, so, uh, I guess we should, uh, start," Florina said softly.

Let's just say that the audience was not disappointed. Hector had to be the worst dancer ever. While Florina made an honest attempt to keep in time with the music (and stay as far away as humanely possible from Hector while still dancing with him), Hector aimlessly wondered around the floor, not hesitating to crash into anyone or anything. By the look of Florina's wincing face, it was almost made evident that he was stepping on her feet quite a lot.

At the end, Florina ran off crying, just because she had been so terrified and needed to let her feelings out, and Hector swiftly disappeared, still utterly humiliated. The audience still clapped, however. Florina's genuine efforts at trying to waltz – even with a horrible partner like Hector – saved the performance from being completely terrible.

And last up were Lyn and Sain. Sain was smiling giddily as Lyn dragged him out onto the floor. Lyn wore a short black dress and high heels – a strange sight indeed – while Sain had a matching tux on.

"Hi," Lyn said flatly. "It turns out that Sain somehow accidentally destroyed all of my other music while trying to 'find something' in my room the other day… so we've been forced to dance to the last music I have available. Feel free to laugh at Sain all you want, because it's all his fault."

Sain continued to smile, although sheepishly now. Lyn cued Canas, and the music started. The audience immediately recognized it as some sort of Spanish music, and their suspicions were confirmed when Lyn and Sain began to tango.

Lyn was obviously not that great of a dancer. She was boring to watch, although at least passable. You could tell she was making an attempt to dance, at least. What really made her performance better, however, was, surprisingly, her partner. Sain was not half-bad as a dancer, and his dramatic personality came in handy for once. He brought some sort of emotion to the otherwise dull tango. The only real cringe worthy moment was when Sain decided to put a rose between his teeth, and Lyn ripped it out, threw it into the audience, and gave Sain a small – but still painful – kick.

Then it was all over. Lyn marched off stage angrily, while Sain bowed briefly and then grabbed a microphone from somewhere or other.

"Now wasn't that entertaining?" he asked. "Now that we're all done, it's that time again! Time to vote!"

The audience cheered, and the girls backstage groaned. One of them was about to be eliminated, once again. And no one had any idea who it was.

Hawkeye dragged the four judges out from their various hiding places, and Sain handed them paper and pencil. The judges shot each other Looks, and then began to vote – for the fourth to last time.

* * *

**A/N**: And so another chapter ends. I really did pick names out of two piles to figure out who the partners for the competition would be, so the groups really are totally random. I didn't put Nino and Jaffar together on purpose. Really. I swear.

Anyhow, I have a question for you guys, which you can answer in your review – would you like to see a Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones version of this (titled The Miss Magvel Beauty Pageant)? I've considered starting one once I've finished this one up, but I'm afraid it'll be too similar to this story. Character-wise, it would be entirely different, but I don't know how I'd think up so many new contests… Anyhow, please tell me what you think!

Okay then, without further ado, remember to vote for who you want out next (using the Ch.3 instructions or by using that new private message feature) and leave a review! Thanks a bunch, and see you next time!


	9. Hallway Horrors

**Chapter Nine**

Once again, everyone reassembled in the ballroom. The girls, all exhausted from their dancing, sat slumped in chairs behind stage while the rest of the audience took their regular seats… except for several miscellaneous people who were off doing things elsewhere. However, no one even noticed they were missing.

Sain strode in a moment later, the judges on his tail. Obviously, Sain hadn't found out who'd been voted off yet, because he wasn't depressed enough. After Sain had arrived to the middle of the stage and the judges had slid into their seats, the remaining girls came and stood on the stage. Some of them seemed nervous, while others (cough, Lyn, cough) merely seemed annoyed to the nth degree.

"Once again, I must very sadly eliminate one of these lovely ladies who I have come to consider as my own family after all of this time," Sain began once the audience had settled down. "They all performed exceedingly well in the dancing competitions, and the ones before that as well. I have nothing but praise for all of them. I feel that, because they have made it this far, they should feel proud of themselves and their accomplishments. But now, I must send one of them away, not by my own choice, but because the rules of this cruel contest dictate that I do so…"

"What I want to know is, how does he think up a new speech each time?" Rebecca asked Nino in a whisper.

"He probably consults those '…For Dummies' books," Nino replied.

"Erk! The envelope!" cried Sain dramatically.

Erk, with narrowed eyes, got out of his chair, shuffled over to Sain, deposited the four slips of paper into his hand, and shuffled back to his seat.

Sain deliberately read the slips as slowly as he could, as if to drive everyone insane. Finally, he seemed ready to announce who had gotten out.

"This is such a shame, to me especially, as now, I must eliminate my very own, extremely talented liege and dancing partner!"

"Crap," muttered Lyn.

"Yes, Lyn," Sain said regretfully, turning to the female Lord. "I am sorry to say that three out of the four judges have decided it is your time to go… I offer apologies from the bottom of my heart… and, uh, I hope you won't murder me for this…"

Lyn rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It was my time to go anyways. I knew I wasn't going to win from the very moment I put on that ugly dress. I just had something to prove." She shot a look at Hector. "And I'm pretty sure I proved it."

Hector nodded vehemently, not wanting to be on the receiving end of any violent attacks. "Uh, yeah, you definitely did."

Whether he really meant it or if he was just trying to spare himself from Lyn's wrath was yet to be determined.

Lyn, looking subdued, turned back to Sain and the audience. "Well, it's been an interesting time. I suppose it was somewhat fun. I may never be able to eat sugar again, but that's beside the point. Good luck to the rest of you… With Sain's whacked competitions, you'll need it. Now I'm off. I need to take a nap."

As Lyn left the stage, Sain looked quite impressed.

"That was the most casual reaction to an elimination I have ever seen!" he cried. "Kudos to the Lady Lyndis for caring more about doing her best than winning!"

The audience hesitantly began to applaud.

"Lyn never said anything like that," a suspicious Nino whispered to Rebecca.

"Yeah, but in Sain's twisted mind, that's what it probably sounded like," Rebecca replied.

"And now, we shall move on to the next competition!" Sain announced jubilantly.

_Uh oh_, the girls thought.

"This competition is specifically designed to test logic and sense of direction," Sain continued. "You will need to think, and think hard, if you hope to do well and save yourself from elimination! Because the last girl to finish the task… will automatically be eliminated!"

The crowd gasped dramatically… but only because there was a light up sign over the stage that read "GASP DRAMATICALLY".

"Great, so I may not be saved by judge favoritism," Rebecca said with a sigh, shooting a glance at Wil.

"The task you must perform… is making your way straight through one of the halls of Castle Ostia without getting lost!" Sain cried with his usual dramatic flair.

It was so quiet that you could hear a cricket chirping.

"That's it?" asked a relieved Florina.

"But you must do it…" Sain continued, confirming that Florina had spoken too soon, "…blindfolded!"

"WHAT?" everyone cried simultaneously.

"Whoa, wait a second here," Hector interrupted. "You're going to let the girls wander aimlessly through my house? And _when_, exactly, did I give you permission to do this?"

Sain ignored Hector and kept talking.

"I will now ask the judges to escort one of the girls to the end of one of the hallways," he said. "The partners will be the same as they were for the dancing competition. Erk will take Rebecca to the first floor hallway, Wil will take Fiora to the second floor, Jaffar will take Nino to the third floor, and Hector will take Florina to the basement."

"Th-the… The basement?" cried an alarmed Florina.

"Just a moment, Sain!" cried Fiora. "Why are you sending my poor, fragile sister into the dark, dank, scary, haunted, evil basement? Are you just being insensitive?"

Sain shrugged. "The floor you're on is entirely random."

"Then I'll trade floors with Florina," Fiora announced dramatically. "I will not let my younger sister suffer so!"

Florina opened her mouth to protest. "N-no, sister, you don't have to –"

"Yes, I do," interrupted Fiora.

"Well, sorry, the rules won't allow it," Sain said hastily. "Alright, take the girls to their hallways and blindfold them, judges! And stay with them just to make sure they don't hurt themselves too badly. I have chosen four random audience members to stand at the other end of the hall to confirm the time of arrival for each girl. Now let us begin!"

Reluctantly, each of the girls was led away, nowhere near ready to participate in another one of Sain's whacked competitions.

* * *

**The First Floor**

"This has got to be the weirdest competition yet," Rebecca said as Erk slowly blindfolded her.

"You're telling me," Erk muttered angrily.

"I just want to get this over with," Rebecca said with a sigh. "Great, it is way too dark for me to see anything!"

"No, it's more like it's way too dark for Sain to see anything," Erk replied. "What does he hope to accomplish by doing this? Any of this? This entire pageant is a waste of our time. There is absolutely no point."

Rebecca, despite being blindfolded, gave Erk a strange look. "Uh, I'm sorry you feel that way, Erk…"

Erk shook his head. So the entire world was now brain-washed by Sain. Just dandy.

"We're about to begin!" Sain's voice announced over a loud speaker. "On your mark, get set… GO!"

Rebecca slowly made her way down the hall, holding her hands out in front of her. The cautious approach she was taking was the safer way to do this. Going fast would probably just result in an unpleasant injury.

The first floor had a lot of big halls in it, so there wasn't much for Rebecca to bump into. She just kept walking in a straight line, and Erk followed after her, extremely bored.

There weren't really any problems until they got to the dining room.

This was the same room where the manners competition had occurred earlier. It contained a huge table and many, many chairs. And unfortunately, it was still an absolute mess from the earlier events that had occurred in it.

"AHH!" cried Rebecca, after slipping on a piece of lettuce and falling on her behind. "Ouch, that hurts! Man, I hate Sain…"

"You and I both," agreed Erk.

Rebecca got back onto her feet and managed to make her way around the table without slipping. Her shoes, however, were now covered in mashed up chocolate cake.

"I liked these shoes, "she said with a sigh after stepping into some mashed potatoes. "But I can already tell they're ruined."

"Maybe we should sue Sain when this is over," Erk suggested.

"Yeah," agreed Rebecca. "Maybe we should."

Rebecca managed to make it out of the dining room without dying. Unfortunately, now she was in the kitchen. The kitchen, in which there was hardly any space for anything, let alone a walking through person.

"Well, at least I won't slip on anything in here," Rebecca commented.

This was mere moments before she slammed into a table holding some carefully organized metal pots and pans… which consequently all came toppling down, on top of Rebecca.

"Ow," she commented when the downpour of kitchen appliances was over.

"Does this count of one of the serious injuries Sain spoke of?" asked Erk, wondering if he should be helping Rebecca or not.

"No," grumbled Rebecca, pushing the pots off of her. "I'm bruised but not beaten. No blood involved."

Once again, Rebecca tried to keep going. But forces were against her. Her cake-and-potatoes covered shoes did not agree with the floor, and so it was inevitable that she wouldn't be on her feet for long. She began to slip.

"W-whoa…" Rebecca said nervously, and tried to grab onto something so she could stay upright.

Unfortunately, the think she grabbed was the handle of the knife drawer.

"Nooooooooooo…." Erk cried in slow motion… but it was too late.

As Rebecca fell, she pulled the drawer straight out of the counter, and millions of knives, of all shapes and sizes, came flying out in all directions.

All he could do was duck and cover, his only thought being, _If I get out of this alive, Sain is a dead man._

**The Second Floor**

"The last time I wore a blindfold was when I was supposed to break open a piñata at my friend Dan's eighth birthday party," Wil began. "I could barely see anything, and I ended up hitting Dan's mom with the stick I was supposed to break that dumb thing open with! She wasn't very happy, as you could imagine. But then I broke open the piñata! I dove for the candy, but I couldn't see, so I ended up breaking my arm. But Dan came over later and gave me a lot of candy, so it was okay. As long as you aren't a klutz like me, you should be okay with this whole contest thing."

"Uh… thank you, Wil," Fiora said awkwardly.

She was still distracted with worry over Florina. What if her younger sister got lost in the depths of the basement, or stumbled upon a poisonous spider colony? She'd never forgive herself…

"We're about to begin!" Sain's voice announced over a loud speaker. "On your mark, get set… GO!"

Fiora began to make her way through the hallways aimlessly. The second floor mostly just had bedrooms on it, so she just had to avoid walking into any doors. Unfortunately, that was going to be a little harder than she thought.

"Oh, hi, Fiora," Lyn, who had appeared in the hallway, said tiredly. "I'm just here to get into my room and take a nap. Don't mind me."

"Oh, hello, Lyn," Fiora replied. "Just be glad you don't have to participate in this round of the competition."

"Mm," said the half-asleep Lyn, who pushed her door open.

Unfortunately, as the door flew open, it caught onto one of the zippers of Fiora's complex Pegasus Knight uniform. As Lyn slammed the door shut, Fiora went with it.

"Ow!" cried Fiora as she slammed into the wall.

She pushed against the wall, in an attempt to get herself unstuck… but nothing budged. But she didn't give up. She kept pushing, pulling, trying to untangle her clothes from the door handle… but nothing worked. She couldn't get herself away from the wall.

"Wil, help me!" she ordered.

"Uh, sorry, Fiora, but… I don't think I can," Wil said apologetically. "I mean, that would be cheating, right?"

Oh no… Those stupid rules. The judges weren't allowed to help unless the contestant had sustained a serious injury. And this was not, technically, a serious injury. She'd have to get herself un-stuck – or she was stuck here forever.

**The Third Floor**

"Oh, Jaffar, I'm so nervous," Nino said with a shudder as the assassin tied the blindfold. "I-I don't know if I can do this. I mean, I don't like the dark… What if I walk into something? Or fall out of a window? I-I don't want to get hurt…"

"…Don't worry," said Jaffar.

"Thanks, Jaffar," Nino said, overwhelmed by his comforting, heartfelt words. "You're right. I shouldn't be worried. I should concentrate."

"…" said Jaffar.

"We're about to begin!" Sain's voice announced over a loud speaker. "On your mark, get set… GO!"

"Oh! I guess I should get started then," Nino said, and began to stumble aimlessly down a hallway.

It was too bad that no one had told Nino there was an indoor pool on this floor.

Everything went relatively normally until Nino got the room containing said indoor pool. Considering the current, careless pace Nino was going at, she wouldn't even think of going around the pool.

This spelled trouble with a capital T.

"The floor is really wet in here," observed Nino. "They must have been washing it, huh?"

"…" said Jaffar.

Then, Nino walked straight into the pool. Jaffar decided that, if she stayed under for more than ten seconds, he would dive in and get her. After all, the judge was allowed to help if the contestant was about to, you know, _die_.

1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…

"Omigosh, I didn't know there was a pool here!" cried Nino after resurfacing, soaking wet. "Why didn't you tell me, Jaffar?"

"Not allowed," he explained.

"I guess I'll just swim across," Nino said.

Wait, she wasn't going to climb out? This swimming across thing wasn't exactly a good idea…

Nino began to doggie-paddle to the other end of the pool… in a diagonal line.

"I must be going in the wrong direction," Nino figured out a minute later, when she hadn't arrived at the other side. "I guess I'll turn around."

"Uh…" Jaffar began, thinking that maybe he should warn her… but would that be cheating?

Nino changed directions again when she didn't hit a wall after her attempt at turning around. And again. And again. And again.

"Wow, I'm tired!" gasped Nino, treading water with all of her might. "I don't know how I'm ever going to get out of this pool! Do you think I should forfeit?"

Forfeit? If Nino lost because he told her to quit, Jaffar would be disappointed. His even participating in this ridiculous contest would have been all for naught.

"Keep going," Jaffar said.

"Okay, I'll try," Nino conceded, but you could tell she was running out of steam. "B-but I don't know… if I can…"

Moments later, her head had disappeared from above the water.

Jaffar didn't hesitate. He dove in after her.

**The Basement**

Florina stood in the corner of the hallway, shivering from head to toe. She couldn't believe she'd thought the dancing competition was the worst thing Sain could throw at her. No, then he had to add in a competition that involved her walking around in a pitch dark hallway full of cobwebs and who knows what else.

"I guess you should put this on," Hector said, handing her the blindfold.

Oh yes, she's forgotten that one of the scariest men in the entire universe was also going to be following her as she made her way through this Evil Hallway of Doom. Now all Florina could do was bide her time until Sain started the competition. She tied the blindfold and prayed to St. Elimine that this would be over fast.

"We're about to begin!" Sain's voice announced over a loud speaker, before she was ready. "On your mark, get set… GO!"

Florina reluctantly put one foot forward. Then the other foot. Okay, so she'd gone two steps. This was good progress. Right?

It was cold in the basement. Very cold. And it was quiet; so quiet that she could practically hear mice skittering around and water dripping from the ceiling to the cold stone floor.

This would be a very unpleasant place to die in.

Florina could feel the tears forming in her eyes. No, she couldn't start crying! Not now… She'd come this far; she had to keep going… She would persevere; she wouldn't become a big crybaby.

"You know, the basement was just cleaned last week," Hector announced out of nowhere. "So, uh, there's nothing _that_ creepy down here. Well… except for a box full of my baby clothes."

"R-really?" asked Florina. "Y-you mean… there aren't mutant cockroaches?"

"Uh, no."

Well, this was big news to her. Now there was really no problem with this contest. All she had to do was walk down the hall, right?

"But I guess I should warn you…" Hector began.

She froze. This did not sound good…

"It is REALLY easy to get lost in the basement," he continued. "It's like a maze. Everywhere you turn, there are three paths to go down. But most of them are dead ends, so at least you'll know when you're going the wrong way… after a while."

"I-I… I'm going to get stuck down here forever, aren't I?" cried a panicked Florina. "I-I don't want to die! M-maybe I should give up while I still have the chance…"

"Uh, hey, don't worry," Hector said, trying to be encouraging – after all, he didn't want a crying girl on his hands. "It's not THAT bad. I was just, you know, warning you. Just… keep walking. Who knows what's going on with the other girls? Maybe one of them walked into a wall and got knocked on conscious or something."

Florina's eyes widened behind the blindfold, because she had missed Hector's joking tone entirely. Oh no! She'd never wish that on anyone! What if Fiora had gotten hurt?

"I-I have to get out of here, now!" cried Florina, and began running down the hall, somehow managing not to run into anything.

Hector didn't know if she was going in the right direction, but he was glad his reverse psychology had worked. That meant he wouldn't be down here forever. He went after Florina, just hoping that she didn't accidentally stumble upon the box full of his baby clothes… because Eliwood would have a field day with those if he ever got his hands on them…

**Later, back in the main hall…**

"Uh, this is Guy, reporting in!" said the voice coming out of Sain's walkie-talkie. "The girl in my hallway has made it to the end!"

"Ah, it looks like someone has made it through!" Sain said cheerfully. "She won't be eliminated…"

The walkie-talkie crackled again. "Hi, this is Heath. The contestant in this hallway has just arrived."

"Oh, good, two have gone through, un-scathed!" Sain said. "Only two to go…"

A few minutes later, the walkie-talkie crackled once more. "This is Matthew! My person's just gotten here."

"Ah… this must mean that the last girl is…" Sain began, his smile disappearing. He left the sentence hanging.

Five minutes passed, and then the final hallway watcher checked in. "I am very relieved to tell you that the contestant in this hall has survived and made it through alive. Otherwise, I would be coming after you at this very moment."

"Ah, you have to love that Kent chap, don't you?" Sain said with a sad smile.

He turned to the wall, where the loud-speaker was. He then made the following announcement: "The competition has been completed. All contestants shall report to the main hall, where the results will be announced."

And so, the audience sat on the edge of their seats, and watched as the doors opened, and the contestants, their escorts,and their hallway watcherswalked through…

* * *

**A/N**: I've finally updated! Sorry for the wait. Anyhow, I don't have much time to write a longer message, so please review and vote via e-mail or private messaging! 


	10. Questions and Corniness

**Chapter Ten**

_The following was taped while the four girls were participating in the Blindfold Challenge._

"Only four girls remain," Sally said in a low, dramatic voice, facing the camera. "Fiora, a responsible Pegasus Knight from Ilia. Florina, her shy but determined younger sister. Nino, the young, innocent mage. And Rebecca, a common village girl who thinks Sain is a pig."

"Hey! I heard that!" Sain's voice shouted.

Ignoring the distractions, Sally went on.

"They have had a long, hard road," she said solemnly. "They were forced to model and swim… sing and dance… display good manners and wander aimlessly through halls while blindfolded… You get the idea. The girls with the most talent and endurance are the ones who are still here. Minutes ago, the host guy of this show – whatever his name is, but what does it matter; I'm cooler than he is. Ahem, anyways… The host sent these four contestants to finish the long, hard task of finding their way through a hall blind-folded. Earlier, we interviewed several audience members to see why they thought this competition was being included. Here's what they had to say…"

The camera cut to Lucius, standing under a shady tree in one of the courtyards of Castle Ostia.

"I think it was included as a metaphor," he explained brightly. "A metaphor for the light of St. Elimine – for light can always be found, even in the darkest of places."

Then it cut to Nils, slumped in a folding chair in the audience.

"Um… good night vision is helpful?" he suggested, fiddling with his flute.

Then it showed Pent and Louise, sitting in the balcony seats of the ballroom.

"Well, a lady must know the manor she runs like the back of her hand!" Louise began, as Pent silently nodded his agreement. "I mean, I could walk the halls of Castle Wrigley blind-folded, no doubt about it! If you memorize your home's layout, if there's any sort of danger, you'll know a quick escape. Or if you've lost something, you'll know exactly where to look! I lost my favorite broach once; it was a gift from the Queen of Bern, who is related to me, although I forget how, but… she is also a dear friend of mine. Anyhow, I looked everywhere for the broach – in my jewelry box, under the bed, in Pent's underwear drawer…"

"What?" Pent cried suddenly.

"…even in the stables! But then, I remembered that Pent had earlier set aside a room for me to get ready for special events in, and it was so small that I had forgotten of its existence until I specifically meditated on what rooms I hadn't looked in. And sure enough, it was there, because I had taken it there last time I'd been changing for a dinner party. Any random visitor wouldn't know of that room at all; only I would. Oh yes, and there was another time when Pent lost his rubber ducky, and –"

"Louise!" hissed Pent.

"What, you don't want them to know about how we found Mr. Squeaky?"

"Alright, that's enough!" Pent said, his face bright red.

The camera abruptly switched to Hawkeye, standing guard at the front entrance to the ballroom.

"Sain is stupid," he concluded.

"Why do you think this competition was included?" Sally said brightly when the camera was finally in its rightful place – focused on her. "Go and take our on-line survey! Just go to www.steliminetv.elibe to share your opinion!"

_And now, back to our regularly scheduled program…

* * *

_

The audience sat on the edge of their seats, and watched as the doors opened…

The first trio to stumble in was Guy, Erk, and Rebecca. Erk looked none too happy, as there were some very odd holes and rips in his cape.

"Wow, Erk should totally be one of those guys at the circus who juggles knives or whatever!" Rebecca exclaimed excitedly. "You should've seen him! He was rolling all over the place! And not a single knife hit him! When it was all over, I was like, 'Are you okay?' and Erk was like, 'Let's just keep going', and so we made it out unscathed!"

"May I ask why knives were flying at Erk?" asked Sally, who was eagerly shoving a microphone in Rebecca's face.

"Rebecca… slippery shoes… knife drawer…" muttered Erk, not caring to elaborate.

"Well, no matter!" Sain cried dramatically, managing to cut off an open-mouthed Sally as he came over to the recently arrived contestant. "Rebecca, congratulations! You are the first girl to arrive! You are still in the running for the title of Miss Elibe!"

Rebecca smiled and cheered excitedly. The crowd began to clap.

"Now let's make way for the other incoming contestants," Sain said, pushing Erk towards the judges table on the stage.

The next trio to arrive consisted of Heath, Hector, and Florina. Florina and Hector both looked like they were about to fall over from exhaustion.

"Man, don't let her go in my basement ever again," grumbled Hector, shaking his head. "She was running around like a maniac trying to find a way out… I almost lost track of her a couple of times. She runs _way_ too fast…"

Florina blushed and looked down. "I-I'm so sorry, I was worried about Fiora… I-Is she alright?"

"Do not fret, my dear Florina," Sain said soothingly. "All of the contestants arrived at the end of the course. But everyone's coming here in the order they arrived; she must have finished after you."

"Y-you mean, I'm still in?" Florina asked, almost looking a bit disappointed.

"Yes, indeed!" Sain said. "Congratulations!"

Florina sighed. Well, as long as her sister was safe and sound, she didn't mind playing this game. It was almost over, anyhow.

Now, it was down to Nino and Fiora. No one knew who would arrive first. There really was no way to tell who would be better at aimlessly wandering through a hallway. Everyone sat pensively, their eyes set on the still closed door. And then, after the longest minute ever to pass in all of eternity, the door opened.

In stepped Matthew and two soaking wet people.

"I finished last, didn't I?" Nino said sadly, wringing out her sopping wet cape and creating a puddle on the floor. "I nearly passed out in the middle of the course because I had to swim! Jaffar saved me, of course, but I took a long break to recover. I couldn't have made it through before anyone else, could I have?"

"But my sweet Nino! You are only the third to arrive!" Sain informed her.

Nino's eyes widened. "W-what? You mean, the last person hasn't come yet?"

As if on cue, in walked the last group – Kent, Wil, and Fiora.

"Sain, we should disband this ridiculous competition right away," Kent began, obviously only at the beginning of a long rant. "Fiora's zipper was caught on a door and she was unable to get herself unstuck, and for some reason, your idiotic rules prohibited the judge from helping her, so Wil stood there and did nothing. Fiora, who is a self-respecting Pegasus Knight, not only had to have such a degrading thing happen to her, but was forced to forfeit her position and is now unable to win because of circumstances beyond her control. This is both unfair and demeaning to Fiora, and it is all because of your dimwitted ideas and badly thought out rules. You should take full responsibility, Sain!"

Sain, who had quite a pained expression on his face, was at a loss for words for the first time in that whole day.

"Kent, it's alright," Fiora finally said, appearing haggard. "I didn't just give up because I thought I wouldn't have been able to get my zipper un-caught. I decided this competition just isn't worth it. I am not in this whole-heartedly, and it is unfair to the other girls for me to remain in the Pageant if I don't really want to win. And besides, I don't want to compete against my dear younger sister. So I did the honorable thing and withdrew. Now I just want to sit on the sidelines and cheer for the others. They are much more deserving than I."

Kent and Sain both looked shell-shocked.

"So, uh, I suppose that will be a proper replacement for your long, dramatic, elimination speech, won't it, Sain?" Fiora said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Oh, please don't make another one of those!" Wil begged.

Sain finally broke into a smile. "Oh, Lady Fiora, what a wonderful thing to do! To withdraw for the sake of your sister! How honorable! How kind! I am in awe of your greatness! And so I will accept the withdrawal for these reasons."

"Uh, thank you," Fiora said quickly, and ran off to who knows where.

"I will properly discipline you later," Kent said sharply, and then followed Fiora out.

"Woohoo, no speech!" Wil cried jubilantly.

"What a display of sportsmanship!" Sain exclaimed, ignoring all of the other comments. "I hope these great, admirable traits will be seen in the other girls here as we proceed to the next event!"

"What's the next event?" Wil asked as he sat down next to the other three judges.

"Why, questions and answers, of course!" Sain said.

The girls sighed with relief. Finally, a normal pageant competition. This wouldn't be too hard… right? Then again, you never knew with Sain.

"We will begin right away," Sain explained. "I will ask a question, which will be written by one of the judges, and the girls will answer it in the order they arrived – Rebecca, Florina, Nino. Once everyone has answered, we will move on to a new question! After five questions, the judges will vote. Is everyone ready?"

The girls nodded, and seated themselves in some chairs that were lined up straight across the stage.

"Alright, let us give the judges a minute to provide me with questions, and then we will begin."

After five boring minutes, the Q & A finally began.

"This question is by Erk," Sain said, reading off of the papers the judges had handed to him a moment earlier. "'Why do you want to win?' Why, Erk, that is an excellent question!"

Erk rolled his eyes. "Well, it was all I could think of…"

"Rebecca?" Sain prompted.

"Well… I guess I want to win because… I really want to show my family and friends that I can do it," Rebecca said happily. "I started out this journey thinking I was a common, boring village girl, but now I have realized all of the true strength and courage I have inside of me. Now I just want to prove that I can exemplify everything that Miss Elibe stands for."

"A marvelous answer!" cried Sain. "And very eloquently put."

"That was just… corny," Hector muttered to no one in particular.

"Florina?" Sain said, turning to the next girl.

"U-um, well… I guess… I want to show my sisters I can do things on my own," Florina said softly. "I… I guess this sounds like Rebecca's answer, but it's true that I want to… prove that I'm not just a shy little girl. To my sisters, and to myself."

"Corny, corny, corny," Hector continued, banging his head against the judges table.

"Well, I want to win because I've never won anything before," Nino explained. "And chess matches against Hector don't count! This whole experience has been so fun and interesting and new to me… I guess I'm just more attached to this pageant than anyone else, because I've never done anything like this before."

"Next question!" Sain said, shuffling his papers. "This one's from Jaffar. 'Explain your philosophical views towards Nergal, and why you believe his defeat will better this nation.' Oh, my…"

"Um, I don't like Nergal," Rebecca began warily. "If he's gone, we won't be in danger any more. It's all pretty straightforward to me."

"Nergal is… a frightening man," Florina said, shuddering. "I… I don't know him very well, but… Someone so frightening is not someone I'd like to be around for much longer, so… I believe his defeat will bring peace and security to this nation once more. And those are things I think all of us want. I… Well, I definitely want it."

"She could've just said he scares the crap out of her," Hector muttered.

Erk nodded in agreement.

"Nergal's mind has been encompassed by darkness," Nino began, her face becoming deadly serious. "He's mad. He ruined my family; he let Sonia kill my family, bewitch my step-father, deceive my brothers, and treat me like garbage. He creates those awful morphs that should've even exist. He's a threat to the whole nation. And worst of all… he was mean to Jaffar!"

Jaffar, appearing bewildered, said, "…"

"He is a horrible, horrible person, and his death means that I will have REVENGE!" cried Nino. What followed was a moment of awkward silence as Nino's voice echoed through the whole room. "Oh, and, uh, it also means that there will be peace and happiness and no more death. And that's good. Um. That's all."

Everyone sat silently, unsure of what to do.

"Um, anyhow… Let us ask another question!" Sain said, trying to distract everyone. "Hector's question is next. He asks, 'What is your best quality?'"

"Isn't it a good question?" Hector said smugly.

"Yeah," agreed Wil. "Mine's pretty bad…"

"Well, I'm an optimist," Rebecca said. "I always hope for the best. I always look for the best in all situations and people. And this always helps in tough situations!"

"Can she say anything that _isn't _corny?" complained Hector.

"No, Hector, Rebecca was _born_ corny," Erk responded with a roll of the eyes.

"Uh… Well, I… My sisters say I hardly ever get angry, and that it helps to calm them down," Florina said, unsure of what other answer she could give.

"I'm friendly and outgoing," Nino said without hesitation. "And it's good to have friends."

"Oh man, Rebecca's corniness is even affecting Nino," said Hector.

"And here's Wil's question," Sain said. "'Who is your favorite judge?'"

"What?" cried Hector and Erk.

"Asking them to play favorites is not going to help anybody," Erk said warningly.

"You were right, your question _is_ bad," Hector added.

Wil sheepishly sunk in his seat. "Heh heh, sorry…"

"Well, let's see," Rebecca began, shooting glares at Hector and Erk for being mean to Wil. "Hector and Erk are sitting over there rolling their eyes and making sarcastic little comments. And they don't respect the ideas of others. In fact, I'll say my favorite judge is Wil, because he always is respectful, a good listener, and comes up with more creative ideas than the others."

Wil brightened at this. "Wow, I feel so special!"

"You should, Wil," Rebecca said. "Because you _are_ special."

"Oh, Elimine!" cried Hector, clutching his head. "The corniness of it all is too overwhelming!"

Even Erk felt the need to slap his forehead at this.

"U-um, well, I can't choose a favorite… I mean, I… I just… They're all equal!" Florina blurted out finally. "I… Well, all of them have been, uh, very nice to me. I… So, they are all, um, the same to me… but by the same, I mean equally nice! Um… that's all."

"Well, Jaffar, of course!" Nino said. "Only because I've known him for such a long time, and he always takes care of me. But I like the others, too. Hector helped save us from Sonia, Erk said I was good at casting spells, and Wil is nice. I only chose Jaffar because I know him the best of all of them."

"Of course, no one chose me or you," Hector said to Erk. "Even though we're pretty much the coolest people here."

Weirded out by Hector's sudden attempts to buddy up with him, Erk scooted his chair in the opposite direction of the imposing axe-wielder. Personally, he was glad no one had picked him. It only would've led to another to the catfight of the century – Serra vs. Priscilla vs. the girl who had said he was her favorite judge. Man, it sucked to be popular with the ladies. Why did Sain actually want girls' attention?

"And now, I will ask one last question!" Sain said dramatically. "And here it is… 'Why are you the better candidate for Miss Elibe than the other two?'"

"Yes, Sain, go ahead and promote a catfight," mumbled Erk.

"Well, nothing personal to the other girls," Rebecca began, which meant it was going to be personal, "because they know I love them both like sisters. But… Miss Elibe is supposed to be someone who has all of the qualities of a common young woman living in this country. Florina and Nino, while truly wonderful people and some of my best friends in the world, aren't exactly your common every-woman. But I'm a common village girl. I do everything that the ordinary people of this country do. I'm not strangely exotic. I'm relatable. And don't the people need to be able to see themselves in Miss Elibe?"

"I'm not even going to say anything about it this time," Hector said, shaking his head.

"You know, that's probably a good idea," Wil replied. "I was getting a craving for corn after you kept using that word over and over again."

"I… I may not be a common village girl like Rebecca, but… I think that Miss Elibe should not only be someone that people can relate to, but also… someone that is somehow set apart," Florina said slowly. "If Miss Elibe is exactly like everyone else, then she isn't… she isn't someone they can look up to, I guess. I… Well, I'm like a lot of other girls – I'm shy, but I try to be kind, and I always work my hardest. But I'm a Pegasus Knight and I live in Ilia, which sets me apart. S-so, uh, I think a combination of being different and the same is what is needed… and this is what I have."

Nino smiled before beginning her answer. "I'd make a good Miss Elibe because I'm not ideal. I'm not perfect; I don't represent everyone in the whole world, and I don't have something that really sets me apart, either. See, the other two are talking about Miss Elibe as if she's a sort of figure-head, but that's not how I think of her. I see her as a girl who's willing to talk to people and work things out. And I can definitely see myself as that girl. The others would be good at being Miss Elibe as they describe her, but I'd be the best at being the Miss Elibe who really reaches people."

"Well, all three ladies have magnificent points!" exclaimed Sain. "But that concludes our Question and Answer session! Now the judges must eliminate one more girl so we can come to our final two… and finally pick the first official Miss Elibe!"

Rebecca, Florina, and Nino looked at the judges uneasily. Erk looked bored, Hector looked like his head was going to explode, Wil was smiling at Rebecca, and Jaffar was merely sitting there and staring.

"Consider the answers to the questions carefully, gentlemen!" Sain encouraged. "And pick the two girls who you think will be the strongest contenders for the title of Miss Elibe!"

The competition was finally getting serious. Now, it was no longer a game. It was really the fight for a title, and the girls really wanted it. In fact, it was the only thing on their minds at this point, or so it seemed.

"I'm hungry again," Nino said suddenly.

Or maybe not.

"In just a few moments, we will know our two finalists!" Sain said excitedly. "Oh, I can hardly wait!"

And so the voting commenced.

* * *

**A/N**: Yeah, it's about time I updated, isn't it? I'm basically done with schoolwork for the year, so you can expect many updates from me. I want to finish this story ASAP. I also want to finish All in the Family and Hourglass, but I'll probably write the entirety of the rest of those stories before I begin posting chapters, so stay tuned. I have not abandoned any of my stories, so don't worry! I had an incredibly busy school year, but now it's over!

Anyhow, now it's your job to VOTE! Remember to go to Ch.3 if you need voting instructions. Or us the private-messaging feature; I happen to think that method works better. There are only two more votes left, so take the opportunity while it's still here!

Thanks bunches to all of you who stuck around and waited for this story! Please review and vote!


	11. Party Hardy

**Chapter Eleven**

After a dramatically long period of voting, Sain collected the slips of paper, read the votes, and then nodded to Dorcas. Dorcas dimmed all of the lights in the room so that only a single spotlight remained, and it shone only on Sain.

"It has been a long and hard road," Sain began in a low voice. "The three girls you see before you are the ones in this pageant with the most skill, determination, and endurance. And now, they are the three who we choose between as the competition comes to a close. Nino nearly brought us to tears with her beautiful rendition of 'Tomorrow'. Florina impressed us all by being the sole source of politeness in a room of chaos. And Rebecca wowed everybody with her and Erk's show stopping Irish step-dancing! There is no doubt that all three of these ladies are wonderful candidates for Miss Elibe – they have certainly proven themselves! But now, it is time for one of them to go…"

"Zzzzzz," said the audience.

"Ahem!" Sain cleared his throat loudly, looking a bit offended.

"Doesn't he get it? No one wants to hear the boring elimination speech!" Hector said. "What is this, the tenth time?"

"Anyone who wakes up gets free chocolate after the pageant!" Sain promised.

Suddenly, everyone in the audience was miraculously wide awake and watching Sain intently.

"That's better," he said, looking content with this. "And so, I must now sadly share the name of the girl who we will be bidding adieu…"

Nino, Florina, and Rebecca looked at each other nervously.

"…Rebecca."

"No!" several people in the crowd gasped.

"How can Rebecca be out?" wailed Wil. "She's so cool!"

Rebecca, while obviously disappointed, did not appear quite as upset as anyone in the audience, however.

"Well, it's okay," she said after the chatter had died down. "It's just a beauty pageant. And when it all comes down to it, any prize I could've won for this, I don't really need. In fact, this whole pageant was a really good experience. I got to learn a lot about my fellow participants and about myself. And Nino and Florina definitely deserve to be here!"

"Even after her elimination she's corny!" exclaimed Hector, looking chagrined.

"Sure, I wanted to win, and I think I would've been a good Miss Elibe," Rebecca continued. "But when it all comes down to it, it's just a game, right? I'm just glad I got this far."

"Those are beautiful words, my dear Rebecca!" cried Sain. "I am so sorry to see you go."

"Sain, you're still a pig," Rebecca replied, narrowing her eyes at him. Then, her expression softened. "But, you know, pigs can be kind of cute…"

"WHAT?" cried Wil. "Wait, why are you being nice to Sain!"

"Even if he's a shameless flirt, he was still pretty creative for coming up with this whole thing to keep us from boredom," Rebecca continued. "We have to give him credit for that."

"Oh, Rebecca, I never knew you felt that way!" cried Sain, obviously taking Rebecca's compliment to be some sort of love confession.

"Uh, okay, Sain, that didn't have any underlying meanings in it," Rebecca said. "Really. I swear. I'm supposed to be leaving now, right? I thought you wanted to finally choose Miss Elibe…?"

"Right," Sain said with a sigh. "Well, let us all give a final farewell to the lovely Rebecca!"

"Goodbye, Rebecca," the audience chorused.

Nino and Florina both gave Rebecca big hugs, tears in their eyes. Everyone could hear their babbling – "I didn't want it to end this way!" "I wish we could all win together!" "I'll miss you in the last competition!"

"Man, this is getting way too emotional," Erk said with a shake of his head.

"Hey, just imagine how much worse it would be with Serra in the final two," Hector reminded him.

Rebecca finally left, and the crowd quieted down. Now, it was time to reveal the next – and last – competition.

"Without further ado, the girls will learn of their final challenge!" Sain announced.

Nino and Florina looked extremely nervous. In fact, Florina looked like she might faint at any moment.

"The final competition will require both of them to show a skill that ladies should know!" Sain went on, causing further suspense.

After letting this all sink in, as he tended to do, Sain finally got down to the nitty-gritty.

"The final competition… will be planning a party!"

The crowd was dumbstruck for several seconds, but then seemed to recover. Slowly, applause began throughout the room.

"A party?" asked a perplexed Nino. "What kind of party?"

"Any kind you want!" Sain said. "You'll be given an empty, spacious room, full assistance of the castle staff, and four previous pageant contestants to help you plan! Oh, and Lowen has agreed to cook whatever you want to serve at your party. Then, half of the audience will go to each party, and the judges and I will pay extended visits to both!"

"Wow! That sounds fun!" cried Nino.

"W-well, I think I could do that," agreed Florina.

"Now, we shall bring out the eliminated pageant contestants, and you will get to choose the four you want to help you!" Sain said.

Soon, every single girl who had been in the pageant assembled on the stage – Isadora, Priscilla, Serra, Louise, Farina, Lyn, Fiora, and Rebecca. Surprisingly, none of them seemed the least bit bitter, and were all newly energized.

"I love planning parties!" squealed Serra.

"Whoever chooses me will totally get financial smarts on their side," Farina said.

Louise smiled evilly. "Planning parties is my forte! Mwahaha!"

"Those are just symptoms of her pregnancy," Pent said from the audience with a sigh, speaking to Matthew, who sat next to him.

Taken aback, Matthew asked, "What pregnancy?"

"Nino received the least amount of votes last round, so she will pick a party helper first!" Sain explained. "Then Florina will get a turn, and so on.

"Um, okay… I choose Rebecca!" Nino said cheerily.

Rebecca smiled excitedly and went to join Nino. They high-fived each other.

"Uh… I guess… Lyn," Florina decided.

Lyn looked please to hear this, and ran over to Florina.

"We are so gonna rock this party thing," Lyn said. "I've been to so many boring parties I know exactly what we shouldn't do."

"Um… Okay, how about Serra?" Nino said.

"WOOHOO!" cried Serra. "Our party is sooooo going to be the coolest!"

"Uh… Farina?" Florina said.

"Yeah, that was totally a smart decision!" Farina cried. "I know how to shop for this sort of thing."

Next, Nino chose: "I guess I'll go with… Priscilla!"

Priscilla looked happy to hear this. "I have very neat handwriting and I'm organized. I'll keep notes while we plan."

Naturally, Florina decided her next pick would be…

"Fiora."

"We will have a nice, upstanding party," Fiora informed the others once she arrived. Seeing Farina's annoyed expression, she added, "Don't worry, it will be fun, too. We want Florina to win after all, right?"

"Um, okay… Let's take Isadora!" Nino said.

"Uh, so Louise shall be with us," Florina finished.

"Now you have an hour to prepare your party!" Sain said. "Florina's party will be in the East Dining Room, and Nino's will be in the West Dining Room. Staff will be waiting there to help you get decorations, music, menus, et cetera. Now let the competition… begin!"

-

Meanwhile, in a mysterious dark room on the second floor, two figures stood, conversing quietly.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Lord Raymond?" one asked the other nervously – evidently, it was Lucius.

"Yes," Raven replied. "Not only will we make Sain look like a fool, but we'll have to force him to split the prize evenly between all of the contestants. The pageant definitely wasn't fair at all. We have to prove this to the audience. Once we get them on our side, Sain will be forced to do what we want."

Lucius sighed. 'Well, alright, Lord Raymond… Whatever you say…"

-

**In the East Dining Hall…**

"We need lace doilies," Fiora declared.

"Ew, no way!" cried Farina. "That's so old-fashioned! We need neon red and electric blue streamers!"

"No, every good party has doilies," Fiora repeated.

Farina snorted. "Every lame party has doilies. No, we need bright colors and a disco ball."

"Doilies!"

"Disco!"

"Doilies!"

"Disco!"

"Sisters!" cried Florina in a surprisingly loud voice. "Please. We need to work together or this will not work."

"She's right," agreed Lyn. "Besides, it's up to Florina what the theme of the party is. Isn't that right?"

"Right," agreed Louise. "So, Florina dear, what do you want to do?"

"Uh… well…" Florina said slowly. "I was thinking we could have a Pegasus Tea… B-but it would still be fun. We could play fast music and have themed decorations!"

"Hmm… You just might onto something, little sister!" Farina said.

"I agree," Fiora put in. "We can be classy and fun at the same time!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, and so they got to work.

**In the West Dining Hall…**

"Okay, the only point of a party… is to have fun!" Serra said. "So we totally just need to go all out. We need lights, music, bubbles… The whole shebang! And we should also use dry ice. And we can scent it with perfume so the whole room smells like flowers! It will be soooo cool."

"Well, that might be too complicated," Rebecca said. "But let's go with a flower theme. I could make a daisy chain for the wall."

"In an hour?" snorted Serra. "Yeah right."

"Oh, I work faster than you know," Rebecca answered darkly.

"I definitely like bright colors," agreed Nino. "And flowers, too! Why don't we have a Flower Power theme?"

"Sounds great!" Rebecca agreed.

Priscilla scribbled this all down.

"I'll get started with the decorations," Isadora volunteered.

"I'll get music and special effects," Serra decided.

"I'll help Isadora, and Nino and Priscilla can decide on food," Rebecca finished.

"This sounds like it's gonna be so much fun!" cried Nino, and so they all set off, doing their respective jobs.

-

An hour passed, and it was finally time for the parties to begin. Sain and the judges randomly decided to go to Florina's party first. They made their way to the East Dining Hall, where Farina, decked out in a long and silky white dress and a fake pair of feathery wings, greeted them.

"Hi, and welcome to Florina's Pegasus Tea!" she announced cheerily. "Admission for entry is fifty dollars per person."

"WHAT?" everyone cried.

"Haha, just kidding!" Farina laughed. "But we do take donations…"

Hector snorted. "You are too much, do you know that?"

Once they were in the room, they took a moment to admire the decorations. There were white streamers hanging from all of the walls, with cut-outs of pegasi and fake wings gracing the walls. Around the whole room were round tables covered with white table clothes. Each table was set with at least four places, and in the center was a bouquet of white roses. The lights in the room had been dimmed, but there was a shiny, silver disco ball – at Farina's insistence – hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. And in the very center of the room, there was an ice sculpture of a Pegasus.

"Wow, this definitely has a cool theme," Wil decided.

"They actually did a pretty good job," Hector had to agree.

"Hey guys!" Lyn greeted them, wearing the same outfit as Farina. "Have you seen the 'Have Your Picture Taken With a Pegasus' booth yet? Or gone to the buffet? The Pegasus-shaped sandwiches are really good. Oh yeah, and don't forget to drink some tea – Florina made it herself! It's amazing, it's straight from Ilia."

"Thank you, Lyn! We most certainly will!" cried Sain. "Where is Florina? She planned this whole thing, didn't she?"

"Oh yeah!" said Lyn. "She's by the buffet table, helping serve the food."

Sain, Erk, Wil, and Jaffar set off to see Florina, but Hector stayed behind.

"Nice wings," he said sarcastically, although he was still smiling.

Lyn narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut up. I'm only wearing them because Florina wanted us to."

He shrugged. "Hey, I didn't say you looked bad in them. In fact, I was complimenting you."

"Well, you aren't very good at it," Lyn replied.

Suddenly, some music came on. It was the techno version of "Heaven".

"Hey, you want to dance?" Hector asked randomly.

A shocked Lyn cried, "Are you kidding me? I saw you waltzing with Florina! You suck. And I'm definitely not much better. Did you see me tango?"

He shrugged. "Well, maybe we just didn't have partners who were will suited for us."

Lyn sighed. "Fine. Whatever. But you step on my toes even once, you'll regret it!"

With Lyn occupied, Florina was left to fend for herself.

"Why, this tea is marvelous!" cried Sain. "Is that a hint of mint I taste?"

"Uh, y-yes," Florina said nervously. "It comes from the peppermint trees in Ilia. It helps to sooth you when you are, uh, nervous or stressed."

"It's good," agreed Wil. "I'm gonna try some of the Pegasus shaped cookies now!"

Erk, meanwhile, was being smothered by Louise.

"Oh, I can't believe my little Erky has been working so hard as a judge this whole time!" she cried. "It must be hard! Why don't you come have your picture taken with a Pegasus? I made the Pegasus myself! Isn't it so authentic looking? It will make you feel much better if you do!"

"Uh, no thank you," Erk said uncomfortably as he watched Karel posing with the Pegasus – pretending to chop its head off, of course – as Pent snapped a picture with his fancy digital camera from earlier.

At the same time, some of the audience members were guests to the party. Kent sat at a table with Hawkeye.

"Well, at least there is no rowdiness at this party," Kent commented.

"That is good," agreed Hawkeye. "I had a long hard day of preventing catfights, keeping girls from jumping on Erk, making random audience members stay away from the stage, and avoiding being interviewed by that stupid reporter lady."

"Hello, Kent!" Fiora said, randomly showing up at the table, wearing the same uniform as the others. "Oh, and Hawkeye. Um, Kent… I was wondering if… Well, do you want to dance?"

"Um…" said a taken aback Kent, looking embarrassed. "Well, alright. But I am not much of a dancer."

"And you think I am?" Fiora cried.

"I thought your dance earlier today was, ah, very impressive!" Kent put in.

Fiora looked proud. "Really? I worked very hard on it. Wil and I were being the shadow and the light, and representing the eternal battle between good and evil! Uh… But enough about that. Shall we dance?"

Soon, Farina was rolling out a cake that had a Pegasus made of icing on it. Everyone ran over to grab a piece.

"How much did you _pay_ for this thing?" Dart asked as Farina served him. "It woulda cost me an arm and a leg!"

"I'll never tell," Farina said mysteriously.

"No, really," Dart said. "It's almost like you found some sorta treasure or somethin'. How else could you afford this?"

"Well…" Farina began slowly, "All I did was sell that fancy dress of mine from earlier. You know, the one with all of the diamonds on it? I decided I didn't need it anymore. Wings are much better suited to me."

"W-wait, you sold that!" cried Dart, appearing alarmed. "H-hey, earlier… I thought those diamonds looked familiar. Cap'n Fargus always had this big bin of diamonds on 'is ship, and he ne'er let anyone near it! I only saw them from a distance once… But now I think… They musta been the same ones on your dress!"

"Uh… Really? Well that's strange," Farina said, growing nervous. "I've never, uh, even heard of those. I have to go, bye."

Then she ran off.

"Hey, wait! I know you took them, you dirty little thief!" cried Dart, running after her.

Meanwhile, Florina was still fielding questions from Sain.

"And who made that lovely ice sculpture?" Sain wanted to know. "And how did you decide where to put each table? And was it hard to boil so much tea?"

"Uh… Well… I did, I don't know, and no," Florina answered uncomfortably.

"Well, you did a marvelous job," Sain concluded. "This is a wonderful party! Sadly, I must depart now. But you did a nice job!"

"Uh… Thank you?" Florina said.

"Hey, Florina, come on!" cried Farina, popping out from out of nowhere as the judges and Sain left the room. "It's time for you to conduct everyone in a rousing rendition of the Pegasus Counting Song!"

Even shy Florina could not resist the Pegasus Counting Song. She went into the center of the room and was shoved a microphone by Lyn.

"Um, hi everyone," she said. "Uh, I hope you're having a good time. Um, I thought it might be fun, to, uh, learn a traditional Ilian folk song."

"Yeah!" the crowd cheered, and clapped excitedly.

"I want to learn, I want to learn!" Bartre cried.

"Um, okay, well, I guess we should start!" Florina said.

She nodded to Louise, who put a CD on. Then, a chorus of drums, guitar, and bass erupted into the room. Soon, voices joined the music, and the song began.

"One little two little three little pegasi, four little five little six little pegasi, seven little eight little nine little pegasi, ten little pegasi fly!"

"Everyone join in!" a voice on the tape said.

"Oooooh!" everyone said together. "One little two little three little pegasi, four little five little six little pegasi, seven little eight little nine little pegasi, ten little pegasi fly!"

"Faster!" the CD encouraged.

"Ooooooh!" everyone sang on a higher key. "One little two little three little pegasi, four little five little six little pegasi, seven little eight little nine little pegasi, ten little pegasi fly!"

"Again!"

And so they sang on and on, their voices echoing through the halls of Castle Ostia.

-

Nino's party was well underway by the time Sain and the judges arrived. In fact, the guests, headed up by Nino, had formed a conga line and were dancing around the room to conga music.

"Dun dun dun dun dun, DUH! Dun dun dun dun dun, DUH!"

"Hi guys!" Nino cried as they stepped in.

Nino's party was quite different from Florina's. There were flashy red, blue, orange, and green lights hanging from the ceiling and shining down on everyone. Daisy chains, just as Rebecca had promised, graced every wall. There were tons of balloons floating around, and the floor was covered with flower petals. The walls had pictures of smiley faces and peace signs on them as well. And, as Serra had desired, there was dry ice.

The food was different too – Nino had gone the traditional party food way and simply had a table of pretzels, chips, soda, and pizza. There was also some candy and cookies for dessert. There were hardly any tables and chairs, however – mostly everyone was up dancing.

Nino and her co-planners were wearing hippie clothes – tie-dyed shirts, jeans, bandanas, flip flops, and tinted sunglasses. They also all looked extremely hyper.

"Woohoo!" cried Wil, and immediately joined the conga line.

"Hey, wait for me!" added Sain, and followed after him.

"God almighty," said Hector, looking bewildered – but not as bewildered as Erk.

Then, the music changed to the Cha Cha Slide, and everyone started to do that instead.

"Slide to the left! Take it back now, ya'll! Two hops this time! Two hops this time! Right, let's stomp. Left foot, let's stomp. Cha cha real slow…"

"Of course, I totally organized most of this," Serra said snobbishly, sauntering over to Erk. "Priscilla didn't do anything. She just took notes."

Fortunately, no catfight broke out, because Priscilla was occupied with Heath and Guy.

"Um… Priscilla, you're really… c-cu – Uh, curious," Guy said.

"That's the eighteenth time you've said that, Guy," Priscilla said.

"Priscilla, do you want another drink? Or more cookies?" asked a concerned Heath.

"You know, if you guys like me, you can just come right out and say it," Priscilla told them. "My brothers not here, you know."

"Really?" they both asked, looking around as if to confirm this.

When neither of them spotted him, they both turned back to Priscilla.

"I like you," they said simultaneously.

"Sorry, my heart belongs to Erk," she informed them.

Their faces fell.

"Just kidding!" she cried jovially. "Serra and I had a long talk, and I decided she could have him… for now. So which one of you wants me more?"

Heath and Guy eyed each other nervously.

"Oh boy, this is going to be fun," Priscilla muttered to herself.

The music changed from the Cha Cha Slide to the Chicken Dance.

"Oh, Erk, let's be partners!" squealed Serra as the part where you're supposed to link arms with somebody came on.

Unfortunately for Erk, he was forced to do the ridiculous dance. But he didn't feel so bad about it when he spotted Jaffar doing the chicken dance with Nino.

"Man, that's going to scar me for life," he murmured.

"What was that, Erk? Did you say you love me?" asked an always attentive Serra. "Oh my gosh! I love you too!"

She threw her arms around him.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" he said with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Wil was happily doing the chicken dance with Rebecca.

"You shouldn't have gotten voted out, Rebecca," he said.

"Oh, get over it, Wil," she said. "Let's just have fun! And besides, what do I have to worry about? I have friends, fun, and a guy who likes me!"

"Y-you mean, Sain?" cried a pained Wil.

"No, silly!" Rebecca answered. "You!"

And with that, he forgot about his disappointment.

And then there was Sain, who was partners with Isadora.

"You are a wonderful dancer!" Sain gushed. "I would've liked to have seen you in the dancing competition! It would've been quite entertaining!"

"Sain, you don't need to use flattery on me," Isadora informed him. "I already consider you a friend."

"A friend?" asked a saddened Sain. "And nothing more?"

Isadora sighed. "Sain, I'm engaged."

"Oh, yes. I forgot about that small fact," Sain said, looking embarrassed. "I'm quite sorry…"

"But…" Isadora said slowly, "...Believe it or not… I have a little sister. She's a little younger than you, but she's very outgoing and likes it when men flirt with her. Maybe I should introduce you two!"

"A little sister! Why, Lady Isadora, why did you never say so!" cried a delighted Sain. "I'll for tea at Castle Pherae sometime to meet her!"

The chicken dance ended and changed to Cotton Eye Joe. Not everyone knew Cotton Eye Joe, so some people sat out.

"Whew! That dancing is hard work!" cried Nino, plopping down on one of the few chairs in the room. "So are you having fun so far, Jaffar?"

"Yes," he said.

"Really? Wow, this party must be a success if you're having fun!" said Nino. "I'm really glad you're here, Jaffar."

"…I'm glad you're here," Jaffar repeated.

Nino smiled sweetly. "Jaffar, you're my best friend! You always help me when things get tough! If you ever need any help from me, you can always just ask! I owe you a lot for being there for me all of the time."

Jaffar, touched by these heartfelt words, responded:

"…"

"Oh, hey! The Macarena is coming on!" cried Nino, shooting up out of her chair. "We totally have to dance this one! Come on, Jaffar!"

From afar, Hector observed this all.

"Jaffar was doing the chicken dance and now he's doing the Macarena… Erk is letting Serra hug him repeatedly… Priscilla is ignoring Erk and has two guys fighting over _her_… Wil's being quiet for once…and Sain isn't hitting on anyone! What is wrong with the world?"

"I don't know," Matthew replied. "But I think it might have to do with sugar."

When the Macarena ended, Nino had an announcement.

"And now it's time for… karaoke!"

Unfortunately, Serra volunteered to go first.

"Nooooo!" Matthew and Hector wailed together, as Erk banged his head against the wall.

The lights dimmed, and Serra struck a dramatic pose as she held the microphone. Then, the music came on.

"I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me," she began in, what was surprisingly, a halfway decent voice. "I still feel your touch in my dreams… Forgive me my weakness but I don't know why! Without you it's hard to survive!"

"Where did she learn to sing?" cried a shocked Hector, but Matthew only shook his head with disbelief.

Erk looked shell-shocked.

"'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling! And every time we kiss, I swear I can fly! Can't you feel my heart beat fast? I want this to last! Need you by my side."

When she was done, everyone cheered enthusiastically. She stepped off of the stage, looking accomplished.

"Well, what do you think, Erk?" she asked slyly after strutting over.

"Uh… It was good," he said honestly. "Um… How did you get that good anyhow?"

"After I got out, I took voice lessons," she informed him. "The teacher said I'm her most improved student ever!"

"Wow," observed Erk, shocked at her rapid change.

"That's why I love you, Erk!" cried Serra, throwing her arms around Erk yet again. "Because you love everything about me!"

"I… do…?" he wondered, but then he decided to shut up and just deal with it.

Then, Sain went up to the microphone.

"Hi everyone! I know you're all having a great time, but it's time for the parties to end! We're all going to head back to the main room to decide who is the next Miss Elibe!"

Everyone clapped and cheered.

"So please come to the ballroom in about ten minutes," he said.

And so Sain and the judges left, heading to vote for the final time. The same question was on all of their minds – who would be the first Miss Elibe, Nino or Florina? They were about to find out…

-

**FAQ! **

(In which Nino answers your questions regarding this story!)

**Where is Ninian? **

Nino: Because of the time during which the story takes place in the Fire Emblem timeline – after Ninian's death and before her revival – she is not a participant in the pageant. Besides, she wouldn't be that interesting to watch during the competitions, and her performances during some competitions, like the singing and dancing ones, would be… well, boring. Hence, she is not in the story.

**Where is Karla?**

Nino: Karla is also not a participant thanks to when the story takes place in the Fire Emblem timeline – before she joins. Also, when Sweet Misery began this story, she was not incredibly familiar with Karla's character and therefore decided not to include her.

**Will you please write one of these for Sacred Stones/Path of Radiance/et cetera?**

Nino: Well, it turns out Sweet Misery just might! Please vote in this poll when you send in your pageant vote –

_Which game would you most like to a see beauty pageant fic done for next?_

_FE: Sacred Stones_

_FE: Path of Radiance_

_Tales of Symphonia_

Nino: So without further ado, please 1.) **review** and 2.) **Private Message Sweet Misery** **with your vote** **for who should be Miss Elibe and what the next pageant fic should be! **

Thank you, and have a nice day!


	12. And the Winner Is

**Chapter Twelve**

"So, Erk," Sally asked nonchalantly after sidling up to the judges' table. "Who did you vote for?"

Erk frowned. "Like I'd tell you."

Sally started to glower but quickly feigned a smile instead.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Your vote will be a secret. Jaffar, why don't you tell me who_ you_ voted for."

"Nino," said Jaffar.

"JAFFAR JUST TALKED!!!!!!" cried Hector, but he was completely ignored.

"Why am I not surprised?" Erk muttered in response to Jaffar's comment.

"I'm not telling you who I voted for because that would be insensitive!" Wil declared before Sally could even shove the microphone in his face.

"Rebecca told you to say that, didn't she?" Erk put in.

Wil blushed. "Well, yeah… But my vote is still a secret! Besides, isn't it more fun that way?"

Hector shrugged. "Who really cares? It's about to come out anyways. I'll tell you who I voted for. I voted for Florina. She worked a lot harder on her party than Nino did, and you can tell."

"And Lyn told you to say that," Erk added.

Hector glared at the mage. "Would you please shut up for one second?"

"I'm only being honest…" Erk said, letting his voice trail off.

"There you have it, ladies and gentleman," Sally said cryptically as she swiveled to face the camera. "So far, two judges have revealed who they voted for… And it's still a tie. To find out who triumphs, we'll just have to wait through another one of the endearing if loquacious host's infamous speeches."

"Sain isn't nearby," Erk said. "You don't have to say good things about him."

Sally's face became stony.

"You fool!" she cried. "I am being paid big bucks by the network, and if I insult the host of this event, I will look stupid and will be thrown out onto the streets to live with hobos! How do you think that will make me feel?"

"Sad?" Wil suggested.

"Hungry?" Hector wondered.

"…?" Jaffar said.

"Yes, Jaffar, that is right," Sally replied. "I would feel that way. You should all listen to this smart young man!"

As the reporter went stomping off to find more coffee, Wil, Hector, and Erk turned to look at Jaffar. Jaffar merely shrugged.

The audience had gotten seated in the ballroom for the last time. Now, it was time to proceed. The winner of the first ever Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant would be revealed. There was already excitement in the air. Sain strode out to center stage, with the other contestants standing off to the sides. Florina and her team were on his right, while Nino and her team were on his left. The room quieted as Sain struck a dramatic pose and the lights dimmed.

"We are about to discover who has it all," he declared. "Kindness, beauty, skills, talent, intelligence… All of which can be summed up in two words! Miss Elibe!"

The crowd went wild.

"Why are we cheering?" Matthew wondered in the audience.

"Dorcas is making shadow animals using the spotlight!" Pent responded excitedly. "Don't you see that bunny above Sain's head?"

"I have the votes right here," Sain announced, holding up a white envelope. "I'm going to read them… right after this special presentation!"

"Nooooooo!" the crowd wailed, and shortly thereafter, they began to boo.

The lights went out completely, and a projector screen came down. Soon, a movie flickered onto the screen. Words flashed, reading, "A Special Presentation, brought to you by Caelin Cookies". Then, the words changed to read, "A Tribute to the Two Finalists".

The song "Breakaway" – the song Florina had performed in the singing round – came on, and the screen began to show photos of Florina. First, it showed her in her lavender dress, walking out onto the stage, blushing the whole time. Then, it moved to clips from each contest – Florina doing the backstroke, singing "Breakaway", huddling in Merlinus's tent, sitting quietly in the chaotic dining room during Lowen's meal, waltzing with Hector (Hector, at the judges table, grunted and hit his head against the table upon seeing this), stumbling through the basement of Castle Ostia blindfolded, answering Sain's question during Q & A, and posing with the fake Pegasus during her party.

The music then switched to "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie, Nino's song. The first clip showed Nino emerging into the spotlight in her party dress and ribbons. Then it proceeded to review her roles in each contest – struggling to stay afloat in the pool, belting out "Tomorrow", making jewelry out of grass in the tent, laughing at the food that had gotten on Jaffar, being lifted by Jaffar during her ballet performance, falling into the pool during the blindfold challenge, earnestly responding to the judges' questions, and doing the Macarena at her party.

The movie was not over, though. Next, it switched to interviews.

"Uh, Florina, I think you have become a very strong person," Kent said into the camera, looking uncomfortable. "I hope you become Miss Elibe."

"Nino, you are such a joy to have around!" Canas warbled, his eyes nearly filled with tears. "You have been a wonderful student. I am completely behind you in your endeavor to become Miss Elibe!"

"We know we were also contestants," Farina said as her and Fiora appeared on the screen, "but Sis, we are one hundred percent on your side! You rock our worlds and you deserve this win more than anyone!"

"YAAAAY!!!! GO NINO!!!!" Rebecca and Priscilla yelled at the screen, evidently not really having a point to their message.

"I don't think either one of them is very good," Serra said when her face materialized on the screen. "I just wanted to come onto this movie to say… I love you, Erk!"

Erk slapped his forehead as the audience went, "Aww…"

Finally, credits for the movie began to roll. The audience was relieved that the wait was over. They would now discover who had won Miss Elibe once and for all…

"And now for a word from our sponsors!" a voiceover on the movie said as the credits ended.

"WHAT??" the audience cried.

"I love my Caelin cookies," a girl's voice sang to the tune of "I Had a Little Dreidel". "They're really, really great! So go into the market. And put some on your plate!"

"Oh… Cookies, cookies, cookies," a chorus of children chimed in as a visual of dancing cookies popped up on the screen. "They're a delicious treat! But if you drop your cookies… Please leave them on the street!"

"I ate this real good cookie," a boy's voice continued. "It made my taste buds tingle! I spent my money on cookies… And I promote them in this jingle!"

The cookies in the commercial formed a kick line and all joined together to sing the next part.

"Oh… Cookies, cookies, cookies! They are just so fine! But please don't lose your cookies! 'Cause then I might lose mine!"

Finally, the screen became black. The torture was over! Now, it truly was time to see who had won. And needless to say, no one felt an urge to buy any Caelin Cookies.

"Okay, now is the moment you've all been waiting for!" Sain announced as the light's came back up and he reappeared at center stage. "We will announce the winner of Miss Elibe!... In just a few short minutes!"

"SAIN! JUST ANNOUNCE THE STUPID WINNER ALREADY!" someone screamed from the audience, but Sain pretended he didn't even hear it.

"First, we're going to conduct some short interviews with the eliminated contestants," Sain said. "We'll start with Isadora, who was sadly the first to go. Isadora, what is your sister like?"

Isadora looked perplexed. "My… sister?"

"That is totally irrelevant, Sain!" screeched Serra. "Get on with it!"

"Oh, did I say sister?" Sain said innocently. "I meant, what are your _feelings_ like? Are you upset to have gone early? Or are you glad Nino and Florina made it to the final stage?"

"I am very happy for both of them," Isadora replied. "I wouldn't go back and change anything that happened."

The audience clapped politely, but was impatiently fidgeting simultaneously.

"Let's move onto Priscilla," Sain said. "My lady, has this competition taught you anything? Such as… Whether Heath, Guy, or my humble self will become your attentive lover?"

Priscilla smiled. "Well, Sain, you aren't in the running, I'm sorry to say. I heard you were taken by Isadora's sister!"

Sain turned red. "No! That's a lie! Do not let vicious rumors tear us apart!"

Priscilla rolled her eyes. "Well, okay, you're still in the running… But I've got to say, I'm leaning towards Heath. I mean, think about it – he has a _wyvern_, for Elimine's sake! You can't find anything much cooler than a wyvern."

In the audience, Heath whooped excitedly. Guy hung his head momentarily, but then looked up.

"Why am I upset?" he asked himself. "Priscilla's not right for me at all. I mean, she told me she liked tacos! I could never be with someone who likes tacos!"

"My dear Serra," Sain said. "You have publicly confessed your love for Erk many times… but he was spurned you! He has no desire for your attentions. So why do you still chase after him? Why don't you look for another man who would treat you better? Someone like…"

"Um, Sain, you are definitely misinformed," Serra interrupted. "Erk totally loves me. I mean, gosh, right before we came on stage, he confessed his undying devotions to me and then he kissed me!"

"WHAT?" everyone in the room cried, including Erk.

Hector's shock quickly transformed into amusement. "Erk, I never knew you were such a ladies' man!"

"That never happened!" Erk exclaimed. "Right before we came on, I was in the bathroom! Ask anyone!"

"Um, duh, Erk!" Serra chirped. "We were in the bathroom together!"

"The bathroom?" the audience cried, absolutely scandalized.

Erk's face was the color of his cloak. "No, she's lying! I mean it! I don't know why you would make that up, Serra, but it didn't happen!"

The audience merely laughed at him in disbelief.

"Besides," Erk blurted out, unable to stop himself, "you're not supposed to kiss a girl until the end of the first date!"

Serra's eyes widened. "You mean… You were going to ask me on a date and _then _kiss me?"

All eyes fell on Erk.

"Say yes, say yes, say yes…" Hector and Wil started chanting as the rest of the room joined in, including Serra.

"Fine, fine…" Erk finally mumbled. "I'll buy you ice cream or something after this pageant. If you shut up, that is."

"Okay!" Serra said agreeably. "Oh yeah, and Sain? That stuff I was talking about didn't happen. But Erk still totally loves me."

"What an inspiring love story!" cried Sain. "Even if it doesn't involve me… Well, then, here we are with Louise! Louise, I've heard a rumor that you're actually married! Is that true?"

Louise merely looked bored. "No, Sain, I merely live with Pent, travel with Pent, spend every waking moment with Pent, and am having Pent's child because we are best friends."

Sain looked fascinated. "Really? Why would you ever do that?"

"OF COURSE I AM MARRIED, YOU IDIOT!!" Louise finally cried, completely losing it. "I am forever bonded to my dearly beloved Pent! So don't you ever hit on me again!"

"You tell him!" Pent encouraged from the audience.

"Wow, pregnant women sure are moody," Wil observed.

"Um, yes, well… That leads us to Farina!" Sain said. "Farina, what are your plans for after this pageant?"

"Um, well… I'm kind of going to become a fugitive and run away so Dart and his pirate crew don't kill me," Farina said. "Oh yes, and I'm going to tell my dramatic and depressing story so that people will generously donate money to me!"

"You'll pay for that!" Dart's voice rang out from the audience. "I'll hunt you down, matey!"

"And now, I have come to my own liege, the dear Lady Lyndis!" Sain said. "Lyn, are you ever going to eat sugar again?"

"I've never eaten sugar in my life," Lyn said, confused. "I can't. I go kind of crazy. I found that out the hard way at age seven…"

"You seriously don't remember that happening?" cried Hector, who then burst into hysterical laughter.

Lyn's face turned red with anger. "Hey! You shut up, idiot! Don't make me come over there!"

Hector quickly ceased laughing and began to cower with fear.

"Fiora," Sain said. "Did this competition lead you to discover your true feelings for Kent? Or did you finally realize that I am the one?"

"Uh, Sain, Kent and I have been an item for about a month now," Fiora said. "If you didn't notice that, I don't know what to tell you…"

Sain looked shocked. "Kent has a girlfriend? And I don't? How is that possible?"

"Finish up the interviews!" the audience demanded.

"All right, all right… Here's Rebecca, then," Sain said.

Silence. Rebecca blinked.

"Well, I don't have a question for you," Sain finally concluded. "So I suppose we should just move on?"

"Good idea," agreed Rebecca.

"All right then… The wait is over!" Sain proclaimed. "No more waiting! No more interviews! No more movies! It is truly time! I will announce… the winner!"

The audience erupted into enthusiastic applause. Sain dramatically displayed the white envelope.

"I just want to say that –" he began.

"Don't you dare start some speech now!" cried Lyn. "Just get on with it!"

Sain, fearful of Lyn's wrath, immediately ripped open the envelope.

"I am going to read the votes immediately!" he said. "The first vote goes to…"

The crowd leaned forward.

"Florina!"

The crowd once again applauded excitedly.

"The second vote goes to… Nino!"

The crowd burst into applause for the third time.

"And the third vote goes to…Nino!"

The crowd continued it's excited response.

"If this next vote is for Florina, then the audience will vote to break the tie!" Sain explained. "And so… The final vote goes to…"

"WAIT!"

Everyone froze, and they all turned to see a new figure on the stage. As the figure gracefully stepped into the light, jaws dropped in awe as eyes widened. Before them was a woman with sparkling blue eyes like sapphires, pale skin like that of a porcelain doll, a blindingly beautiful smile, and long, blond hair the color of sunshine.

"And who might you be, o beautiful one?" asked Sain, nearly breathless.

"I am Saint Elimine," the figure said, and her voice was a musical sound. "And I have come to protest your announcing a winner!"

The crowd gasped. Elimine herself? But how could she be here? And why would she want to ruin such a joyous occasion? Nino and Florina both looked on the verge of tears.

"But why, my dear one?" Sain asked, sounding wounded. "We are celebrating the great talents and assets of these women, all while glorifying your name! Why… Even the TV network I hired to tape this is named after you!"

Elimine shook her head. "No, Sain. You are not honoring talent or intelligence in the way it should be honored. You are merely lifting one girl on a platform and saying that the rest are not worthy! You are putting others down and lifting a particular person up! And based on what? Useless talents such as walking through a hall blindfolded and sitting in a tent for hours. Every person is good at something different. Just because Lyn is not a dancer does not mean she should not be honored for her talents as a fighter! Just because Priscilla is not athletic does not mean she should not be honored for her kind spirit! And just because Serra has the worst singing voice I have ever heard doesn't mean she should not be honored for her, uh, creative fashion sense!"

Serra frowned. "Hey, I took singing lessons, you know! I'm good now!"

Elimine ignored the pink-haired girl.

"Sain, I cannot allow you to proceed with such a horrific way of making others feel bad about themselves," she said. "I must ask you to end this now. Hand over the prize you were going to give to the winner. I will hold onto it for you so that you do not misuse it. I know you are weak-minded and will give into temptation, so this I must do."

Sain sighed regretfully. "As much as I disagree with you, my lovely lady, I will do whatever you say… because you are the best-looking girl who has walked into this room all day!"

"Hey!" some of the other girls chorused, feeling insulted.

Sain pulled another envelope from his pocket.

"Here," he said. "This envelope holds the grand prize. It is quite a special and generous treat. I leave it in your hands. If you ever wish to cash it in, I won't even hold it against you, for you are a wonderful and pure maiden who deserves my utmost praise and respect."

Slowly, he bestowed the white envelope upon Elimine, and she accepted it gratefully. He bowed his head to her as she tucked the envelope in her cloak.

"Do you want to go to dinner with me some time?" he asked.

Elimine's eyes widened. "Uh, no. That is all. I must depart now, my children. Remember to, um, follow the light!"

With that, St. Elimine went flying from the stage and disappeared through the ballroom door.

"That…" began Wil.

"…Was so random," finished Hector.

Moments later, loud chatter resumed.

"Was that really St. Elimine herself who made an appearance?" Sally asked the camera. "Have we really had a visit from such a holy figure? Is making money through fun events like beauty pageants really so bad? I leave these questions up to you, viewer. But remember… If I don't get paid, you don't get entertained!! So find me another venue, got it? I am out of this cursed place!"

Sally and her crew stormed out of the room, leaving Eliwood's army by themselves, completely bewildered.

"Well, you heard Elimine," a disappointed Sain said. "That's that."

"Aw, come on!" cried Hector. "At least read the last vote. Even if there's no prize, we might as well let someone be Miss Elibe. It's just for fun. No one's going to have hard feelings, right? We all had a good time, and we managed to get through a boring rainy day. Heck, all of us were exposed to the public via national television! None of the girls are bitter. They're not idiots – they know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and they knew whether they would get far or not when they heard about the tasks. This was all just a way to enjoy and test ourselves. That's what training is about – to improve. So why don't we just honor the girl who fought the hardest for the title by letting her have it? Seriously, it can't be that big of a deal. Doesn't Elimine promote inner strength anyways? We all respect one another and know we're all talented and everything, so why don't we just give one person a special day?"

"That…" said Lyn, her eyes wide and serious, "…was absolutely beautiful."

Slowly, people in the audience began to clap. Then, others joined in. The clapping grew faster, and soon, everyone was cheering in agreement. Sain sighed.

"Well, if it will make the ladies happy," he said, "I'll do it!"

He grabbed the last vote out of the envelope.

"And the final vote for the Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant goes to…"

"NINO!"

The crowd cheered louder than ever as balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling – dropped by Nils and Canas – and Nino screamed with shock. All of the girls jumped up and down happily, even Florina. The two finalists hugged each other, and then Nino stepped forward to hug Sain, who happily accepted this gesture. Unfortunately, he did not notice that Nino had intended the hug to be a sort of brother-sister hug, so he was sorely disappointed when she broke away with him and ran over to the judges' table.

First to get hugged was Erk, who awkwardly patted Nino on the back, but pushed her off when he saw Serra glaring at him. Then was Hector, who Nino couldn't even get her arms around, so she decided to just shake his hand instead. Wil, of course, showed off his usual enthusiastic personality and gave Nino an actual hug. And then, Nino jumped straight into Jaffar's arms.

"I did it, Jaffar!" she cried excitedly, but it was so fast and high-pitched that it sounded like, "Ahdiett, jawfur!"

And then Jaffar did the most shocking thing that he had ever done in his entire life.

He smiled.

"JAFFAR SMILED! THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING!" Hector yelled at the top of his lungs, but no one noticed.

Hector didn't really have time to worry about it either, because Lyn came over then and kissed him on the cheek.

"I forgive you," she said, and then walked away.

"For what??" he cried as she strode away.

"For calling her manly," Wil said matter-of-factly. "Duh!"

Immense amounts of hugging followed. Rebecca hugged Wil, Serra hugged Erk, Priscilla hugged Heath and then Guy (for consolation purposes, although he was still fuming about tacos), Louise hugged Pent, Fiora hugged Kent, Farina hugged Dart (to make him forget about the whole money situation – but it was all good because Dart had already snuck into Farina's room and found all of the stolen diamonds, so he didn't care about that any more), Florina hugged all of the girls but none of the boys, Sain hugged all of the girls and none of the boys, and Nino continued to hug Jaffar so tightly that he looked like he might run out of air at any moment.

When all the hugging was done, there was only one thing to do.

"Let's party!" Sain announced.

The DJs from the two parties set up their stations and began to play "Celebration". The chairs in the ballroom were pushed off to the side, and a random dance party began in the middle of the floor.

In the end, no one really cared who had won and lost the pageant. It had all been in good fun, and everyone seemed as happy as could be. This was definitely going to be a day that no one would forget.

* * *

"I did everything you said, Master Raven," Lucius said. "I let Priscilla put all of that awful makeup on me… I wore that itchy dress Serra bought… I practiced those lines you wrote for me over and over again, and I even recited them in a voice a pitch higher than my usual one! Now please, just tell me what was in the envelope that I worked so hard to retrieve for you!"

Raven grumbled to himself and shook his head.

"Trust me, Lucius. You don't want to know."

"If the prize Sain was offering to Miss Elibe wasn't money," Lucius said, "what could it possibly be?"

Raven threw up his arms.

"Fine! You want to know? You can see it. You can have it, in fact. It is yours to use now, isn't it? Well, I'm sure you'll have fun with it. Now I'm going to bed."

Lucius slowly picked up the envelope as Raven stormed off. He slowly lifted the flap and drew out a thin piece of paper. He turned it over to read what mystical message it contained –

_Hello, my dear Miss Elibe! Congratulations. You have proved yourself worthy. For this was not only a contest to see who has what it takes to be Miss Elibe… It was also a contest to see which contestant was most worthy of me! I know you will be honored that I have chosen you above all of the other lovely ladies. And so I will bestow upon you the greatest gift of all._

_I give you all of my love, time, and devotion! Please feel free to ask of me whatever you wish, and I will not refuse!_

_Love, Sain_

Lucius sighed. That Sain… He was just hopeless. Maybe, just maybe, he should be taught a lesson…

* * *

At the crack of dawn the day after the pageant, Sain was fast asleep when a loud knock on the door awoke him.

"What?" he grumbled.

"Oh, Saaaaaaain!" cooed a female voice. "Please come here! I have a request for you!"

Sain immediately hopped out of bed and opened the door.

"What can I do for – Serra?"

Sain stared incredulously at the girl before him.

Serra's grin widened.

"Hello, Sain!" she said. "It looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other now. After all, you're going to be my vassal!"

"Your vassal?" Sain cried. "But my dear Serra… That sounds so menial!"

Serra shrugged. "Well, St. Elimine decided to give me a wonderful gift! She gave me all of your love and devotion! See, it's on this paper – you signed it yourself."

Sain's eyes widened as he saw that she indeed had a paper with his signature on it. Had Elimine truly given his wonderful prize to Serra? No, it couldn't be…

"So I wrote a list of things for you to do for me," Serra said. "I'm going to be very busy today, so you have to keep up! Oh, and I'm also including some requests from the others as well, because they are so kind to me! So pay attention! First, you must sweep my floor, clean my windows, make my bed, pack my things for me before we leave tomorrow, brush my hair, feed me grapes, make me all three meals and two snacks, provide me with a foot massage whenever I wish, prepare a hot bath for me whenever I like, make a picnic for Erk and me, find a perfect spot for Erk and I to have said picnic, make sure no one disturbs us during the picnic…"

Sain's jaw had already hit the floor.

"…go into town and buy a list of all of things on this list _with your own money_…"

He could feel his eye twitching.

"…give all of the girls facials and also prepare a mud bath for them, clean up the entire castle because it's so messy from yesterday, have a conference with Hector's lawyer because Sally the reporter is suing him for causing her mental problems, sharpen all of the weapons, saddle all of the horses, do a checkup on Louise's baby for her, develop Pent's pictures _by hand_ because his digital camera broke, do all of the laundry, shine Kent's armor, taste all of Lowen's dishes, be Jaffar's punching bag for his training segment, let Bartre take his need to hit things out on you…"

He couldn't take it any longer. He just couldn't.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooo……"

"What are you doing Sain? Stop fooling around! You need to start those chores if you wish to finish in time…"

It was almost certain that, somewhere, St. Elimine was smiling to herself, happy with the outcome of the first – and probably only – Miss Elibe Beauty Pageant.

* * *

**A/N**: It's done! I have finished it! Hooray!! Thanks to every single person who reviewed, voted, or read this story! It's thanks to you guys I have kept going with this story. I know it was annoying to wait so long for chapters, so to anyone who is still around, thanks so much!

The votes for Miss Elibe were VERY close – Nino beat Florina out by only one vote. The vote for the next beauty pageant fic was also very close, but there is a winner. The next fic is going to be… Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance! And it's going to be a whole new story, with more contestants and judges than usual, new competitions, and so on. I'm not sure when I will start it, but hopefully, it will be soon!

Again, lots of thanks to all of this story's supporters, and I hope you'll stick around for The Miss Tellius Beauty Pageant!


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